Use of anticholinergics and the risk of cognitive impairment in an African American population

• DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181e7f2ab
• Publication Date: 2010-07-12T20:30:33Z
• Authors: N.L. Campbell; M.A. Boustani; K.A. Lane; S. Gao; H. Hendrie; B.A. Khan; J.R. Murrell; F.W. Unverzagt; A. Hake; V. Smith-Gamble; K. Hall
• Keywords: Aged, 80 and over; Male; Risk; Chi-Square Distribution; Incidence; Neuropsychological Tests; Cholinergic Antagonists; 3. Good health; Black or African American; 03 medical and health sciences; Apolipoproteins E; 0302 clinical medicine; Risk Factors; Odds Ratio; Humans; Female; Longitudinal Studies; Cognition Disorders; Aged

<b>Background:</b> Anticholinergic properties of certain medications often go unrecognized, and are frequently used by the elderly population. Few studies have yet defined long-term impact these on incidence cognitive impairment. <b>Methods:</b> We report a 6-year longitudinal, observational study, evaluating 1,652 community-dwelling African American subjects over age 70 years who were enrolled in Indianapolis-Ibadan Dementia Project between 2001 2007 had normal function at baseline. The exposure group included those reported baseline use possible or definite anticholinergics as determined Cognitive Burden scale. Our main outcome measure was impairment, either dementia impairment not dementia, poor performance screening instrument during follow-up period. <b>Results:</b> At baseline, 53% population anticholinergic, 11% anticholinergic. After adjusting for age, gender, educational level, performance, number associated with an increased risk (odds ratio [OR] 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–1.99; <i>p</i> = 0.02), whereas did increase (OR 0.96, CI 0.85–1.09; 0.55). among anticholinergic users if they carriers <i>APOE</i> ε4 allele 1.77, 1.03–3.05; 0.04). <b>Conclusions:</b> Limiting clinical may reduce Americans.