The anticholinergic risk scale and anticholinergic adverse effects in older persons.
BACKGROUND
Adverse effects of anticholinergic medications may contribute to events such as falls, delirium, and cognitive impairment in older patients. To further assess this risk, we developed the Anticholinergic Risk Scale (ARS), a ranked categorical list of commonly prescribed medications with anticholinergic potential. The objective of this study was to determine if the ARS score could be used to predict the risk of anticholinergic adverse effects in a geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) cohort and in a primary care cohort.


METHODS
Medical records of 132 GEM patients were reviewed retrospectively for medications included on the ARS and their resultant possible anticholinergic adverse effects. Prospectively, we enrolled 117 patients, 65 years or older, in primary care clinics; performed medication reconciliation; and asked about anticholinergic adverse effects. The relationship between the ARS score and the risk of anticholinergic adverse effects was assessed using Poisson regression analysis.


RESULTS
Higher ARS scores were associated with increased risk of anticholinergic adverse effects in the GEM cohort (crude relative risk [RR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-1.8) and in the primary care cohort (crude RR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.5-2.4). After adjustment for age and the number of medications, higher ARS scores increased the risk of anticholinergic adverse effects in the GEM cohort (adjusted RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.6; c statistic, 0.74) and in the primary care cohort (adjusted RR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.5-2.5; c statistic, 0.77).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher ARS scores are associated with statistically significantly increased risk of anticholinergic adverse effects in older patients.
Rudolph
James L
JL
Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA. jrudolph@partners.org
Salow
Marci J
MJ
Angelini
Michael C
MC
McGlinchey
Regina E
RE
D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans
D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists