Do antidepressants lead to increased dementia?

So-called anticholinergics increase the risk of dementia

Dementia is a disease that affects more and more older people today. Researchers have now discovered that some antidepressants and bladder medications appear to be associated with dementia.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia found in their current research that antidepressants and bladder drugs can contribute to the development of dementia. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Does taking antidepressants increase the likelihood of developing dementia later in life? (Image: Lars Zahner / fotolia.com)

Certain medications increase the risk of dementia

Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, which are also prescribed for pain and sleep disorders, and paroxetine (also known as seroxate) were further explored in the study to find out how these drugs affect the risk of dementia. There also seems to be some Parkinson's drugs that increase the likelihood of dementia.

What do anticholinergics do??

The studied group of drugs is also known as anticholinergics. These medications can have a negative impact on the patients. They can lead to short-term confusion and increase the likelihood of falls. About one in five people who take an antidepressant, takes a so-called anticholinergic (usually amitriptyline), say the experts.

More and more people are taking many different medications

There is an increasing tendency for older people to medicate, which means they often take a combination of medications for various illnesses and ailments. This could be an important part of the problem, the medical profession speculates. Over the past twenty years, the number of elderly patients taking five or more medicines has quadrupled, adds study author Dr. Ian Maidment from the University of East Anglia. Many of these drugs have an anticholinergic effect and, given the evidence available today, it must be considered whether the risks of dementia outweigh the benefits of taking prescribed medications, the expert said.

Medications block messenger acetylcholine

The medications for various ailments have a common mode of action, they block a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) called acetylcholine, which has effects on the bladder, the mouth, the stomach, the eyes and the heart. The messenger substance is also present in the brain and important for cognition, memory and learning, explain the experts.

The data of more than 340,000 people were evaluated

The researchers looked at GP data for more than 40,000 people over the age of 65 with dementia and nearly 300,000 people without dementia. They looked at the prescriptive material of the last twenty years to find out if there was a link between the anticholinergic drugs taken and a later diagnosis of dementia. The researchers were able to find that participants who took such medication between four and twenty years, as a result, more often suffer from dementia.

The risk of dementia increases as a result of ingestion

When patients take such medication for depression, Parkinson's and bladder problems, the risk of dementia increases from ten percent (normal risk) to 13 percent. The early symptoms of dementia are depression and bladder weakness. It is possible that such drugs will be prescribed to people who are already in the early stages of dementia, the researchers speculate. It also became clear that the more pills or tablets the patient took over time, the more likely it was to diagnose dementia. But the doctors warn that patients should not stop taking the medication without first talking to their doctor.

Further research is needed

The statement that some medicines, especially antidepressants, can cause dementia up to twenty years later should be looked at closely. The study assumed that patients actually take their medication as prescribed, which is not always the case in reality, say the experts. The safety of patients has the highest priority, which is why the effect of all medications must be examined closely and further studies are now required. (As)