Cited by 520Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient OutcomesDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchCholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 44 of the 44 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 22 of the 46 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Anticholinergic drugs and risk of dementia: case-control study

Open access

Abstract

Objectives: To estimate the association between the duration and level of exposure to different classes of anticholinergic drugs and subsequent incident dementia. Design: Case-control study. Setting: General practices in the UK contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Participants: 40 770 patients aged 65-99 with a diagnosis of dementia between April 2006 and July 2015, and 283 933 controls without dementia. Interventions: Daily defined doses of anticholinergic drugs coded using the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) scale, in total and grouped by subclass, prescribed 4-20 years before a diagnosis of dementia. Main outcome measures: Odds ratios for incident dementia, adjusted for a range of demographic and health related covariates. Results: 14 453 (35%) cases and 86 403 (30%) controls were prescribed at least one anticholinergic drug with an ACB score of 3 (definite anticholinergic activity) during the exposure period. The adjusted odds ratio for any anticholinergic drug with an ACB score of 3 was 1.11 (95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.14). Dementia was associated with an increasing average ACB score. When considered by drug class, gastrointestinal drugs with an ACB score of 3 were not distinctively linked to dementia. The risk of dementia increased with greater exposure for antidepressant, urological, and antiparkinson drugs with an ACB score of 3. This result was also observed for exposure 15-20 years before a diagnosis. Conclusions: A robust association between some classes of anticholinergic drugs and future dementia incidence was observed. This could be caused by a class specific effect, or by drugs being used for very early symptoms of dementia. Future research should examine anticholinergic drug classes as opposed to anticholinergic effects intrinsically or summing scales for anticholinergic exposure. Trial registration: Registered to the European Union electronic Register of Post-Authorisation Studies EUPAS8705.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

In a UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink nested case-control study, certain anticholinergic drug classes with definite anticholinergic activity were associated with incident dementia, with associations persisting up to 20 years after exposure. The strongest signals were for antidepressant, urological, and antiparkinson drugs with an Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) score of 3, while gastrointestinal and cardiovascular anticholinergics were not positively associated.

Key findings

  • Among 40,770 dementia cases and 283,933 controls, 14,453 (35%) cases and 86,403 (30%) controls were prescribed at least one ACB score 3 drug; the adjusted odds ratio for any ACB score 3 drug was 1.11 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.14).
  • Dose-response was seen for ACB score 3 drugs: adjusted OR 1.31 (1.22 to 1.41) for >1460 DDDs versus none, and average ACB score >5.0 had adjusted OR 1.28 (1.19 to 1.36). ACB score 1 drugs showed no dose-response.
  • By class, ACB score 3 antidepressants (OR 1.11, 1.08 to 1.14), urologicals (OR 1.18, 1.13 to 1.23), and antiparkinsons (OR 1.29, 1.11 to 1.50) were associated with dementia; gastrointestinal ACB score 3 drugs were not positively associated (OR 0.94, 0.89 to 0.99).
  • Associations persisted 15-20 years before diagnosis for any ACB score 3 drug (OR 1.17, 1.10 to 1.24), antidepressants with ACB score 3 (OR 1.19, 1.10 to 1.29), and urologicals with ACB score 3 (OR 1.27, 1.09 to 1.48).

Methods

  • Nested case-control study using UK general practices in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink; cases were patients aged 65-99 with a dementia diagnosis between April 2006 and July 2015, matched to up to seven controls on sex, year of birth within three years, years of up-to-standard data history, and practice-level deprivation.
  • Anticholinergic exposure was measured as defined daily doses during a drug exposure period ending four years before the index date, classified by the ACB scale and grouped by drug class; exposure categories were 0, 1-13, 14-89, 90-364, 365-1459, and >1460 DDDs.
  • Conditional logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios for incident dementia, with covariates measured at the start and end of the exposure period; prespecified secondary analyses examined drug class, time before diagnosis, average ACB score, and sensitivity analyses including a new-user design and the Anticholinergic Drug Scale.

Limitations

  • Stated: dementia is underdiagnosed (up to 50%), so some controls may have undiagnosed dementia or early cognitive impairment, which would bias estimates toward the null; surveillance bias is possible but would be expected across drug classes; anticholinergic activity is difficult to assess and scales differ; adherence is unknown, over-the-counter drugs are not recorded, and DDDs have limitations; residual or unmeasured confounding cannot be excluded; primary care records lack detailed lifestyle and demographic information; estimates generalise to those surviving at least four years after initial anticholinergic exposure.
  • Evident from the design/text: observational case-control data cannot establish causality, and the authors note that class-specific associations could reflect underlying indications, prodromal symptoms, or differences in blood-brain barrier penetration rather than a direct anticholinergic effect.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1136/bmj.k1315

Cites

44 of 44 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

22 of 46 cited sources checked · 11 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

Show all 68 claims

  • Probably not a substantial claim. 20
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 39
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 1
49 of 49
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Thiazide diuretics, loop diuretics, and antihistamines have an ACB score of 1.

    “thiazide diuretics, loop diuretics, and antihistamines have an ACB score of 1”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Tricyclic antidepressants have an ACB score of 3.

    “tricyclic antidepressants have an ACB score of 3”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Creams, eye drops, and ear drops have an ACB score of 0.

    “creams, eye drops, and ear drops have an ACB score of 0”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Diagnosed health conditions or other drugs are absent if there is no mention in the primary care record.

    “diagnosed health conditions or other drugs are assumed absent if there is no mention in the primary care record.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    It is not known if the reported associations between the use of anticholinergic drugs and future cognitive decline and dementia incidence can be attributed to anticholinergic activity.

    “It is not known if the reported associations between the use of anticholinergic drugs and future cognitive decline and dementia incidence can be attributed to anticholinergic activity”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    This is the first study to individually estimate the effect of classes of anticholinergic drugs with respect to dementia incidence.

    “This is the first study to individually estimate the effect of classes of anticholinergic drugs with respect to dementia incidence.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    In the UK, most diagnoses of dementia are made by memory services specialists and communicated back to primary care.

    “In the UK, most diagnoses of dementia are made by memory services specialists. The diagnoses are then communicated back to primary care.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Use of drugs with anticholinergic activity is associated with impaired cognition in the short term.

    “Use of drugs with anticholinergic activity is associated with impaired cognition in the short term”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Primary care records include detailed records of diagnoses and symptoms that have allowed good confounding control.

    “Primary care records do not hold detailed lifestyle or demographic information, but do include detailed records of diagnoses and symptoms that have allowed good confounding control.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Defined daily doses represent the best available method for comparing the levels of exposure of different drug classes.

    “Defined daily doses (DDDs) can be difficult to establish for certain drugs yet represent the best available method for comparing the levels of exposure of different drug classes.”
10 of 10

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • ACB score 2 association increased, rather than decreased, in the new-user analysis

    Minor

    The text says the new-user restriction produced small reductions for both ACB scores 3 and 2. For ACB score 2, however, the end-of-period adjusted odds ratio rose from 1.10 in the primary analysis to 1.12.

  • Highest average ACB category has conflicting boundaries

    Minor

    The methods say the highest category includes scores of 5 or more, but Table 2 labels it greater than 5.0. Under the table's stated boundaries, an average score of exactly 5.0 falls into neither of its two highest categories.

2 of 2

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Metadata

Authors
Richardson, K., Fox, C., Maidment, I., Steel, N., Loke, Y. K., Arthur, A., Myint, P. K., Grossi, C. M., Mattishent, K., Bennett, K., Campbell, N. L., Boustani, M., Robinson, L., Brayne, C., Matthews, F. E., & Savva, G. M.
Affiliations
  • University of East Anglia (GB)
  • Aston University (GB)
  • University of Aberdeen (GB)
  • Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (IE)
  • Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
  • Indiana University Indianapolis (US)
  • Newcastle University (GB)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
Corresponding author
Richardson, Kathryn
Venue
BMJ
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2018-04-25
Volume
361
Pages
k1315
ISSN
  • 1756-1833 (ISSN-L)
  • 0959-8138
OpenAlex
W2800521692
Cited by
520
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 36 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 56 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 45 · 2021: 71 · 2020: 127 · 2019: 61 · 2018: 25
FWCI
54.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • BMJ (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Aston Publications Explorer (Aston University) (acceptedVersion)
  • UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (acceptedVersion)
  • Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Aberdeen University Research Archive (Aberdeen University) (submittedVersion)
  • Repository@Hull (Worktribe) (University of Hull) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
  • Apollo
Funders
  • Alzheimer's Society (AS-PG-2013-017)
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (NF-SI-0616-10090, NF-SI-0611-10084, ACF-2014-15-001)
  • Aston University
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology (medical) › Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Keywords
anticholinergic agents, dementia, Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale, antidepressants, antiparkinsonian drugs, urological drugs, gastrointestinal drugs, drug exposure duration, older adults, incident dementia risk
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic, Dementia, Female, United Kingdom, Health Services Research, Humans, Male, Odds Ratio, Case-Control Studies, Risk Assessment, Cholinergic Antagonists

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