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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Phillipa on June 28, 2011, at 21:03:47
Darned if you do darned if you don't now ad's andd tranquilzers implicated in death in those over 65. Phillipa
From Reuters Health Information
Common Drug Effect Boosts Elderly Death Risk
LONDON (Reuters) Jun 24 - Anticholinergic activity, a side effect of many commonly used drugs including antihistamines and antidepressants, appears to increase the risk of reduced brain function and early death in older people, according to a study published on Friday.Scientists from Britain's University of East Anglia who led the work said the findings showed it was vital for doctors to regularly review drugs taken by elderly patients to ensure the cumulative risks of side-effects did not outweigh the benefits.
"Our results show a potentially serious effect on mortality," Chris Fox, of UEA's Norwich Medical School, told reporters at a briefing in London.
The study, published online June 24 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, is the first systematic investigation into the long-term impact of anticholinergic activity, which affects the brain by blocking the key neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
"One of the issues is that as we age, we tend to be prescribed more medicines which have an anticholinergic effect, increasing the overall burden," said Ian Maidment, a mental health pharmacist in Britain's National Health Service (NHS).
The researchers devised a ranking system which they called the AntiCholinergic Burden (ACB) score for the anticholinergic effects of more than 80 common prescription and over-the- counter drugs. They assigned scores of 0 for no effect, 1 for mild effect, 2 for moderate effect and 3 for severe effect.
Then they studied more than 13,000 British men and women aged 65 and over for a two-year period.
They found that 20% of participants taking drugs with a total ACB of four or more had died by the end of the two-year study, compared with only 7% of those taking no anticholinergic drugs. For every extra ACB point, the odds of dying increased by 26%, they found.
Those taking drugs with a combined ACB of five or more scored more than 4% lower in a cognitive function tests than those taking no anticholinergic drugs -- a finding that confirmed evidence from previous smaller studies of a link between anticholinergics and mental decline.
And the increased risks from taking anticholinergic drugs were cumulative, based on the number of medicines taken and the strength of each drug's anticholinergic effect.
"It's important to scrutinize medications given to older people very carefully to try to minimize harm as well as gain the desired benefit," said Carol Brayne of the University of Cambridge, who also worked on the study.
The researchers said medications with the ACB impact include nifedipine , codeine, beclometasone, and carbamazepine, and certain tranquilizers.
Fox said that, wherever possible, doctors should "avoid prescribing multiple drugs with anticholinergic effects."
Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, who was not involved in the study, said its findings must be taken seriously, particularly since loss of cognitive function can be a precursor to the mind-robbing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia
Posted by emmanuel98 on June 28, 2011, at 23:45:51
In reply to Anticholenergic Increase Death In older Folks Ad's, posted by Phillipa on June 28, 2011, at 21:03:47
AC drugs also include OTC anti-histamines.
Posted by Phillipa on June 29, 2011, at 20:30:45
In reply to Re: Anticholenergic Increase Death In older Folks Ad's, posted by emmanuel98 on June 28, 2011, at 23:45:51
Yes I saw that on a google search. Even ibuphrophen, tylenol is now bad causes heart disease. Is nothing safe? Phillipa
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