Mental Decline: These over-the-counter remedies could be the unsuspected culprit

29 May 2008

Everyday over-the-counter drugs for stomach cramps, ulcers and motion sickness can cause cognitive decline in older patients, researchers have discovered. Anticholinergic drugs have been identified as the culprit in many older people who suddenly experience cognitive decline, such as memory loss.

Researchers from the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda made the discovery when they studied any change in the thinking abilities of 870 members of the clergy who had an average age of 75.

During the study, 679 people took at least one medication with anticholinergic properties, and they experienced a decline in their cognitive functions that were 1.5 times greater than in those who hadn’t taken one of the drugs.

(Source: American Academy of Neurology, 60th anniversary annual meeting).

Mental Decline: These over-the-counter remedies could be the unsuspected culprit

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