Common over-the-counter drugs can hurt your brain
Science has linked anticholinergic drugs with cognitive impairment and an increased risk of dementia.
Story highlights
- Anticholinergic drugs have been linked to cognitive impairment and increased risk of dementia
- A new study finds lower metabolism and reduced brain sizes in participants taking these drugs
(CNN)From
allergies to insomnia, there's a pill for just about every problem. The
problem is, those pills often come with a lengthy list of potential
side effects.
And in the quest to cure what ails us as quickly as possible, those warnings are too often overlooked.
A new study, published Monday, offers the most definite proof yet of what scientists have known for at least a decade: that anticholinergic drugs (PDF) are linked with cognitive impairment and an increased risk of dementia.
Though
you may have never heard of this class of drug, you've certainly heard
of the medications themselves, including Benadryl, Demerol, Dimetapp,
Dramamine, Paxil, Unisom and VESIcare. They are sold over the counter
and by prescription as sleep aids and for chronic diseases including
hypertension, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD).
The
new study is the first to examine the physical changes that serve as
the catalyst for cognitive decline. Using brain imaging techniques, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine found (PDF) lower metabolism and reduced brain sizes among study participants taking anticholinergic drugs.
"These
findings provide us with a much better understanding of how this class
of drugs may act upon the brain in ways that might raise the risk of
cognitive impairment and dementia," said Shannon Risacher, an assistant professor of radiology and imaging sciences.
The
study looked at 451 people, with an average age of 73. Sixty of them
were taking at least one medication with medium or high anticholinergic
activity. To identify physical and physiological changes that could be
associated with the reported effects, researchers assessed the results
of memory and cognitive tests; PET scans, to measure brain metabolism;
and MRI scans, to assess brain structure.
The
cognitive tests revealed that people taking anticholinergic drugs
performed worse on short-term memory tests, as well as on some tests of
executive function, including verbal reasoning, planning and
problem-solving.
Anticholinergic
drug users also showed lower levels of glucose metabolism -- a biomarker
for brain activity -- both in the brain overall and in the hippocampus,
a region of the brain associated with memory and which has been
identified as affected early by Alzheimer's disease. The participants
using anticholinergic drugs were also found to have reduced brain volume
and larger ventricles, the cavities inside the brain.
"These
findings might give us clues to the biological basis for the cognitive
problems associated with anticholinergic drugs, but additional studies
are needed if we are to truly understand the mechanisms involved,"
Risacher said.
A 2013 study by scientists at the Indiana University Center for Aging Research
(PDF) found that drugs with a strong anticholinergic effect cause
cognitive problems when taken continuously for as few as 60 days. Drugs
with a weaker effect could cause impairment within 90 days.
"Given
all the research evidence, physicians might want to consider
alternatives to anticholinergic medications, if available, when working
with their older patients," Risacher said.
Of course, never start or stop taking a medication without first consulting your doctor.
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