abstract: The aim of this study was to see if anticholinergic drugs might be causing mild cognitive impairment in older people. Many drugs including antiemetics, antispasmodics, bronchodilators, antiarrhythmics drugs, antihistamines, analgesics, antihypertensives, antiparkinsonian agents, corticosteroids, ulcer drugs and psychotropic drugs have an anticholinergic effect. Doctors fail to consider the cognitive impact of these drugs and underestimate the toxic effects that can result from combining drugs. Risk is greater now that an increasing number of anticholinergic drugs are available without prescription. This study found that 80 per cent of people taking these drugs had mild cognitive impairment but that there was no evidence that this would progress to dementia. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (such as aricept) that can be prescribed for early stage dementia work by stimulating the cholinergic system. If toxic levels of anticholinergic drugs are overlooked people may be misdiagnosed as having dementia. They could then be in the 'absurd position' of having pro-cholinergic drugs to counteract the effect of anticholinergic agents.