ArticleDrugs & aging2015
Use of drugs with anticholinergic properties among nursing home residents with dementia: a national analysis of Medicare beneficiaries from 2007 to 2008.
Article in Drugs & aging, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.
- Concurrent Use of Anticholinergic and Antidementia Medicines in Older Adults with Dementia: A Systematic Review of Prevalence, Predictors and Clinical Outcomes.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Pooled it
- Anticholinergic burden for prediction of cognitive decline or neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Anticholinergic Burden and Fractures: A Systematic Review with Methodological Appraisal.Drugs & aging · 2020Pooled it
- Factors associated with anticholinergic burden among older patients in long-term care hospitals in Korea.The Korean journal of internal medicine · 2022Trial
- Anticholinergic burden and its associated factors among adult outpatients in a resource-limited setting: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- What's behind delirium: is there a specific role for medications?European geriatric medicine · 2025Review
- Cumulative Anticholinergic Burden and its Predictors among Older Adults with Alzheimer's Disease Initiating Cholinesterase Inhibitors.Drugs & aging · 2024Article
- Changes in Antidementia Medications upon Admission to the Nursing Home: Who Decides and Why? Results From a National Survey of Nursing Home Administrators.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · 2024Article
- An evaluation of injurious falls and Fall-Risk-Increasing-Drug (FRID) prescribing in ambulatory care in older adults.BMC geriatrics · 2022Article
- Prevalence and Factors Associated with Cumulative Anticholinergic Burden Among Older Long-Stay Nursing Home Residents with Overactive Bladder.Drugs & aging · 2021Article
- Relationship between Anticholinergic Burden and Health-Related Quality of Life among Residents in Long-Term Care.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2021Article
- Temporal Trends in the Use of Anticholinergic Drugs Among Older People Living in Long-Term Care Facilities in Helsinki.Drugs & aging · 2020Article
- Medication Profiles of Patients with Cognitive Impairment and High Anticholinergic Burden.Drugs & aging · 2018Article
- Anticholinergic Prescribing in Medicare Part D Beneficiaries Residing in Nursing Homes: Results from a Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis of Medicare Data.Drugs & aging · 2017Article
- Polypharmacy and inappropriate medication use in patients with dementia: an underresearched problem.Therapeutic advances in drug safety · 2017Review
- Hospitalizations Due to Adverse Drug Events in the Elderly-A Retrospective Register Study.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2016Article
- Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Events in Patients on Antidementia Medications.American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementiasArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOlder adults with dementia are vulnerable to the central deteriorating effects of drugs with anticholinergic properties (DAPs). These effects include falls and confusion and may exacerbate dementia-related symptoms. Many individuals with dementia also receive acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs), indicated for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. AChEIs have opposing effects to DAPs and, consequently, concomitant use of DAPs and AChEIs may further impair cognition among patients with dementia.
objectivesOur objectives were to (1) evaluate the anticholinergic burden among nursing home (NH) residents with dementia; (2) characterize trends in use of DAPs and concomitant use of DAPs and AChEIs among NH residents with dementia; and (3) identify factors associated with the use of DAPs and concomitant use of DAPs and AChEIs.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of Medicare data from 2007 to 2008 linked to the Minimum Data Set.
resultsDuring the study period, 53,805 (77%) NH residents with dementia used at least one DAP each month. Sixty-seven percent of residents with dementia used Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale (ACBS) level 1 DAPs, 3% used level 2 DAPs, and 31% used level 3 DAPs. Thirteen percent of NH residents with dementia concomitantly used ACBS levels 2 or 3 DAPs and AChEIs.
conclusionsThis study sheds new light on the prevalence of DAP use and concomitant use of DAPs and AChEIs among NH residents with dementia. Clinicians should consider alternatives with lower anticholinergic effects, particularly in patients already taking DAPs.
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