Two new studies show that anticholinergics, a commonly prescribed group of drugs, may cause elderly people to "slow down" in their daily physical activities.
The two reports from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine support findings released a few weeks ago that anticholinergic drugs -- which treat a variety of diseases and conditions, including acid reflux, Parkinson's disease and urinary incontinence -- may cause older people to lose their thinking skills more quickly than those who don't take the medicines.
Anticholinergic drugs work by stopping acetylcholine, a chemical that enhances communication between nerve cells in the brain, from binding to its receptors in nerve cells.
In the first Wake Forest study, older adults taking anticholinergics became more likely to walk more slowly and to need help in other daily activities.
READ MORE @ WASHINGTON POST
Showing posts with label Anticholinergics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anticholinergics. Show all posts
Monday, May 5, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Common Medications May Harm Memory in Older People - Those on anticholinergic drugs had sharper declines in thinking skills, study finds
Common medications known as anticholinergic drugs -- used to treat ulcers, stomach cramps, motion sickness, Parkinson's disease and urinary incontinence -- may cause older people to lose their thinking skills more quickly than seniors who don't take the medicines, new research suggests.
"What we found is being on these drugs does worsen your cognitive performance," said Dr. Jack Tsao, an associate professor of neurology at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Md., who led the study of the effect of the medications on older adults who were, on average, 75. "In the course of a few years, there is a small slippage. It's a minor effect."
Medications for bladder problems and Parkinson's appear to have the worst effect on memory, he said.
Anticholinergic drugs are a class of medicines that work by blocking the binding of a brain chemical called acetylcholine to its receptor in nerve cells.
"You need acetylcholine for [good] memory," Tsao explained. Drugs used to treat Alzheimer's inhibit the enzyme which breaks down acetylcholine, he said, allowing more of it to be used by the brain.
Tsao was expected to present his research Thursday at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, in Chicago.
READ MORE @ US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
"What we found is being on these drugs does worsen your cognitive performance," said Dr. Jack Tsao, an associate professor of neurology at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Md., who led the study of the effect of the medications on older adults who were, on average, 75. "In the course of a few years, there is a small slippage. It's a minor effect."
Medications for bladder problems and Parkinson's appear to have the worst effect on memory, he said.
Anticholinergic drugs are a class of medicines that work by blocking the binding of a brain chemical called acetylcholine to its receptor in nerve cells.
"You need acetylcholine for [good] memory," Tsao explained. Drugs used to treat Alzheimer's inhibit the enzyme which breaks down acetylcholine, he said, allowing more of it to be used by the brain.
Tsao was expected to present his research Thursday at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, in Chicago.
READ MORE @ US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
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