Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42050692›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's research & therapy2026

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and the risk of delirium - a Danish nationwide register-based cohort study.

Martin Torp Rahbek, Helene Kildegaard, Jesper Hallas, Martin Thomsen Ernst, Lars Christian Lund

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Article in Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Martin Torp RahbekClinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense , 5230 Odense M, Denmark. mrahbek@health.sdu.dk.
Helene KildegaardClinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense , 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
Jesper HallasClinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense , 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
Martin Thomsen ErnstClinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense , 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
Lars Christian LundClinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense , 5230 Odense M, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDelirium is frequent in people with dementia and is linked to adverse outcomes. Disturbed cholinergic neurotransmission is implicated in its pathophysiology. We examined whether continuous use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) is associated with a reduced risk of incident delirium in patients with dementia.

methodsUsing Danish nationwide registries (2005–2024), we identified individuals ≥ 50 years initiating AChEIs. Continuous users (second prescription within 90 days) were compared with early discontinuers. Follow-up started 90 days after initiation and continued for up to 3 years. The outcome was a hospital discharge diagnosis of delirium (ICD-10 F05). Confounding was addressed using high-dimensional propensity score (hdPS) fine-stratification weighting, and Cox regression yielded hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

resultsAmong 45,651 patients, 311 delirium events occurred among continuous users and 84 among early discontinuers, corresponding to incidence rates of 66 and 112 events per 10,000 person-years, respectively. The hdPS-weighted HR for delirium was 0.72 (95% CI 0.54–0.96). Results were consistent across sensitivity analyses and in patients with Alzheimer’s disease HR 0.68 (95% CI 0.48–0.96). A negative control outcome showed no association.

conclusionsContinuous AChEI treatment was associated with a lower risk of delirium. Findings support a potential benefit of maintaining therapy in routine dementia care, and possibly even in patients with minor intolerance to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

Indexed as

Cholinesterase InhibitorsDeliriumDementiaAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesDenmarkFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesRisk FactorsCholinesterase InhibitorsAcetylcholinesterase inhibitorsCohort studyDeliriumDementiaHospitalizationNationwide register-based

Identifiers

PMID42050692
PMCPMC13274194

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.