Stability of anticholinergic load in Australian community-dwelling older people: a longitudinal analysis.

BACKGROUND: It is recommended that anticholinergic medication is avoided in older people, especially those with cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate anticholinergic load (ACL) over time in older primary care patients with and without cognitive impairment.

METHODS: Community-dwelling general practice patients at baseline (n = 1768), at year one (n = 1373) and a restricted cohort (with possible or definite cognitive impairment) at year two (n = 370) had medication regimens documented by a research nurse during a home visit. Anticholinergic medicines were categorized as levels 1-3 (low-high potency) and summed for each participant as a measure of their ACL.

RESULTS: Most participants had no change in ACL over time, but there was some turnover in the anticholinergic medications used. The mean change in ACL was 0.012 ± 0.99 from baseline to 12 months and -0.04 ± 1.3 from baseline to 24 months. Cardiovascular drugs were the most commonly used level 1 anticholinergics, followed by antidepressants and opioids. Antidepressants and urologicals were the most commonly used level 3 anticholinergics. The rate of anticholinergic deprescribing was equivalent to the rate of anticholinergic initiation, and commonly involved the level 1 drugs warfarin, furosemide and temazepam, and the level 3 drugs amitriptyline and oxybutynin. People with dementia had a higher ACL at baseline and year one compared with other participants.

CONCLUSION: ACL of community-dwelling older people was very stable over time. This may represent lost opportunities for deprescribing as well as potentially inappropriate prescribing, particularly in those with cognitive impairment.