Drugs Used for Dementia Increase the Risk of Overactive Bladder

A new study finding study opens a new door to understanding and managing medication-related side effects in dementia.

The risk of overactive bladder (OAB) as a side effect of drugs taken for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was evaluated by a study from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, and published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Dementia is a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory, reasoning, or other thinking skills. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60%–80% of cases.

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‘The risk of the overactive bladder was associated with dementia treating drug donepezil.’

Drugs, including donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine, used in dementia increase the communication between nerve cells to enhance cognition.

Using Medicare data, the study examined 524,975 adults (aged 65 and older) with dementia who were users of drugs (donepezil 80.72%, rivastigmine 16.41%, galantamine 2.87%).

The primary finding of the study was OAB diagnosis or prescription of antimuscarinics, drugs which help correct overactive bladder, within six months of starting taking the drugs.

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Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting memory and thinking and making the person increasingly dependent on others.

While some studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects of all drugs, few studies have been conducted regarding the effects of the individual drug on the risk of OAB.

Previous studies have found that the use of dementia drugs is associated with an increased risk of receiving an antimuscarinic drug.

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These findings suggest the need to understand and manage medication-related morbidity in older adults with dementia.

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Source-Medindia