Some medications 'causing cognitive impairment in elderly'
Friday 24th June 2011
Drugs commonly taken by older adults can cause cognitive impairment, new findings have warned.
Medications with anticholinergic activity were seen to cause cognitive impairment and possibly even death, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Co-author Malaz Boustani said that the findings mean clinicians need to review over-the-counter and prescription drugs with older patients, to work out whether they are taking too many of this type of medication.
These drugs include over-the-counter and prescription sleeping aids and incontinence treatments.
Lead researcher Chris Fox, of the University of East Anglia said: "We need follow-up to determine the degree to which anticholinergics are being prescribed for diseases with significant risk of death and the impact of that on our findings."
The study is part of the Medical Research Council (UK) Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFAS).
In other news, one expert has said that an alcohol screening programme should be used to tackle the problem of drinking among older people in the UK, one expert has said.
According to findings by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, older people are less able to process alcohol, and the government should lower the recommended drinking limit to just 1.5 units per day for the age group.
Written by Megan Smith
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