This document is subject to copyright. She believes many people too easily resort to anticholinergics for sleep complaints, especially. Drugs linked to poor outcomes in older people with Alzheimer's disease. In 2015, University of Washington scientists also found the chronic use of certain anticholinergic The thought of memory loss as a result of mediations that are supposed to be aiding your healing is a scary one. Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. They're used to treat a wide range of other conditions, including depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, overactive bladder, allergies, and gastrointestinal disorders.Anticholinergic drugs help contract and relax muscles, and work by blocking acetylcholine, a chemical that transmits messages in the nervous system.But the new British study found that people aged 55 and older who took strong anticholinergic medications daily for three years or more had a 50% increased risk of dementia. USA TODAY talked to Dr. Shelly Gray, director of the Plein Center for Geriatric Pharmacy Research at the University of Washington, to find out. The content is provided for information purposes only. While you shouldn’t stop taking your medication without talking to your doctor, it’s worth a conversation to see if your mediations include anticholinergic drugs linked to dementia. Science X Daily and the Weekly Email Newsletter are free features that allow you to receive your favorite sci-tech news updates in your email inbox There was nearly a 50% increased odds of dementia among adults aged 55 and older in the UK who took a strong anticholinergic medication daily for at least three years, according to a new study. From the WebMD Archives. But a new study suggests stronger forms of these drugs may increase the risk of dementia in older patients.These medicines include everything from milder medicines such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) to more potent medicines, such as certain antipsychotics and Parkinson's meds. Commonly prescribed drugs could increase the risk of dementia, says a new study. Jun 24, 2019. "Ideally, what we want to do is to go back to something we were born experts at -- sleeping," Devi said, "without any sleep medications. "Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is important for memory and learning, but it is also important for other body functions such as heart rate and muscle contractions in the stomach," she said.She went on to explain that several different types of medications can be considered anticholinergics: Scientists and doctors have known for quite some time that anticholinergics carry risks in seniors, according to Gray. Incontinence Drugs. Anticholinergics for depression, such as amitriptyline, dosulepin, and paroxetine, have previously been linked to higher risk of dementia, even when they were used up to 20 years beforehand. "The study specifically examined adults 55 and older, she said, indicating that adults both midlife and older should be aware of the linkage. The study, published in the peer-reviewed JAMA Internal Medicine journal, said taking these kinds of drugs resulted in nearly "50% increased odds of dementia" in adults 55 and older. There was no increased risk of dementia among patients who took other types of anticholinergic drugs such as antihistamines (Benadryl) and gastrointestinal drugs. Gayatrii Devi is a neurologist specializing in memory disorders at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. The average age of the dementia patients was 82.Overall, they study found an increased risk of dementia among those who took anticholinergic drugs. 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