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Despite having an assortment of unwanted central nervous system effects, anticholinergic medications are widely used, particularly in elderly people.
New evidence from a systematic review of 46 studies indicates that drugs with anticholinergic properties have a significant adverse effect on cognitive and physical function[1]
.
Writing in
Age and Ageing
, the study authors from the University of East Anglia, led by Chris Fox, say that avoiding anticholinergic medications may “preserve and maximise function and prevent acute adverse events such as falls”.
More evidence is needed to assess the effect of anticholinergic drugs on delirium and mortality, as conclusions in this study were less well defined.
