(WHDH) — A new study found that commonly prescribed drugs are tied to a nearly 50 percent higher dementia risk in older adults.
The observational study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday, suggests the link is strongest for certain classes of anticholinergic drugs, which includes antidepressants, as well as drugs to treat vertigo, motion sickness or vomiting and bladder conditions.
Researchers looking at data for nearly 300,000 people in Britain discovered that the odds of dementia increased from 1.06 percent among those with the lowest anticholinergic exposure to nearly 1.5 percent among those with the highest exposure.
The researchers found only an association between the drugs and dementia risk and the study did not prove the drugs contribute to causing dementia.
An editorial published with the study says more research is needed to determine if the drugs are actually a reversible risk factor for dementia.
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