Abstract
Background
Prolonged exposure to anticholinergic medication, particularly in midlife, is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment/dementia. Less well explored is the ongoing use of drugs with anticholinergic properties in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), where the potential to accelerate cognitive decline may be greatest.
Methods
We analysed medication data from the NILVAD trial, a clinical trial examining the efficacy of Nilvadapine in mild-moderate Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Drgs were coded based on their Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and Anticholinergic Burden Scale (ABS) applied to each participant’s medication list. Logistic and linear regression were used to model predictors of potential anticholinergic medication use/total ABS score.
Results
Of 510 participants with AD (mean age 72.8 +/-8.3 years; 62% female), just over one-quarter (N = 134, 26.27%) were prescribed a drug with potential/definite anticholinergic properties. Half of these had an anticholinergic burden score of 3 or greater (N = 67, 13.4%). The most frequent definite anticholinergics prescribed included quetiapine (N=27) oxybutynin (N = 22), paroxetine (N=14) and amitriptyline (N=8). Usage did not significantly differ by country or study arm. Overall, 88.43% of patients were prescribed a cholinesterase inhibitor. On multivariate analysis of potential/definite anticholinergic usage, age (p=0.044; OR 1.03, 1.01-1.06), total number of medications (p=0.001, OR 1.3, 1.18-1.41) as well as a greater dementia severity rated using the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog) (p=0.008; 1.04 1.01-1.07) were associated with likelihood of anticholinergic use.
Conclusion
Over one-quarter of community-dwelling older patients with AD are prescribed a drug with potential or definite anticholinergic properties. Use of drugs with potential/definite anticholinergic properties were associated with total medication burden in addition to greater dementia severity at baseline. This is particularly pertinent given the deleterious cognitive effects of anticholinergic medication. Further attention to reducing total anticholinergic burden in patients with dementia is warranted.
98 Use of Drgs with Anticholinergic Properties in People Living with Alzheimer’s Disease: Data from NILVAD
