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Anticholinergic medication use and cognitive impairment in the older population: The Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study

Fox, Christopher, Richardson, Kathryn, Maidment, Ian D., Savva, George, Matthews, Fiona E., Smithard, David, Coulton, Simon, Katona, Cornelius, Boustani, Malaz, Brayne, Carol and others. (2011) Anticholinergic medication use and cognitive impairment in the older population: The Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 59 (8). pp. 1477-1483. ISSN 0002-8614. (doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03491.x) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:29696)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03491.x

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the use of medications with possible and definite anticholinergic activity increases the risk of cognitive impairment and mortality in older people and whether risk is cumulative.

DESIGN: A 2-year longitudinal study of participants enrolled in the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study between 1991 and 1993.

SETTING: Community-dwelling and institutionalized participants.

PARTICIPANTS: Thirteen thousand four participants aged 65 and older.

MEASUREMENTS: Baseline use of possible or definite anticholinergics determined according to the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale and cognition determined using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The main outcome measure was decline in the MMSE score at 2 years.

RESULTS: At baseline, 47% of the population used a medication with possible anticholinergic properties, and 4% used a drug with definite anticholinergic properties. After adjusting for age, sex, educational level, social class, number of nonanticholinergic medications, number of comorbid health conditions, and cognitive performance at baseline, use of medication with definite anticholinergic effects was associated with a 0.33-point greater decline in MMSE score (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.03–0.64, P=.03) than not taking anticholinergics, whereas the use of possible anticholinergics at baseline was not associated with further decline (0.02, 95% CI=?0.14–0.11, P=.79). Two-year mortality was greater for those taking definite (OR=1.68; 95% CI=1.30–2.16; P<.001) and possible (OR=1.56; 95% CI=1.36–1.79; P<.001) anticholinergics.

CONCLUSION: The use of medications with anticholinergic activity increases the cumulative risk of cognitive impairment and mortality.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03491.x
Uncontrolled keywords: anticholinergic activity;cognitive impairment;elderly
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC952 Geriatrics
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Centre for Health Services Studies
Depositing User: Tony Rees
Date Deposited: 25 Jun 2012 15:26 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:07 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/29696 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Coulton, Simon.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7704-3274
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Katona, Cornelius.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
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