title: Anticholinergic drug use and negative outcomes among the frail elderly population living in a nursing home.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increasing evidence from experimental studies and clinical observations suggests that drugs with anticholinergic properties can cause physical and mental impairment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the use of drugs with anticholinergic activity and negative outcomes in older nursing home residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the database of the U.L.I.S.S.E project (Un Link Informatico sui Servizi Sanitari Esistenti per l'Anziani), a prospective multicenter observational study. Patients from 31 facilities in Italy were assessed at baseline and at 6 and 12 months by trained personnel, using the Minimum Data Set for Nursing Home (MDS-NH). The only exclusion criterion was age younger than 65 years. The Anticholinergic Risk Scale (ARS), a list of commonly prescribed drugs with potential anticholinergic effects, was used to calculate the anticholinergic load.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total population of 1490 patients was analyzed; almost half of the sample (48%) was using drugs with anticholinergic properties. The population of patients with ARS 1 or higher had a higher comorbidity index (P < .003) and greater cognitive impairment (CPS 5-6) (P < .007). They were more likely to suffer from heart failure, Parkinson disease, depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. In multivariate analysis, a higher score in the ARS scale was associated with a greater likelihood of functional decline (described as the loss of ≥1 ADL point) (odds ratio [OR] 1.13; confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.23), to a higher rate of falls (OR 1.26; CI 1.13-1.41), and to a higher incidence of delirium (OR 1.16; CI 1.02-1.32) during a 1-year follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of medications with anticholinergic properties is common among older nursing home residents. Our results suggest that among older nursing home residents the use of anticholinergic drugs is associated with important negative outcomes, such as functional decline, falls, and delirium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Physiatry, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Roma, Italy. Electronic address: Francesco.landi@rm.unicatt.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Landi
authors.affiliation: Geriatrics and Geriatric Emergency Care, IRCCS-INRCA, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dell'Aquila
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Physiatry, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Agnese
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Collamati
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, Geriatrics and Physiatry, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Martone
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine, Gerontology, and Clinical Nutrition, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zuliani
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Unit of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gasperini
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Regional Health Authority of Umbria, Italy; Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia Medical School, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eusebi
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction, IRCCS-INRCA, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lattanzio
authors.affiliation: Geriatrics and Geriatric Emergency Care, IRCCS-INRCA, Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cherubini
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003693:Delirium / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists
keywords: Anticholinergic medications; delirium; falls; functional decline