Many people take medicine for everyday health problems like colds, allergies, or high blood pressure. These medicines help us feel better, and some are so common that you can buy them without a prescription at the store. Others need a doctor’s approval. But new research shows that some of these drugs might quietly harm something very important — our memory.
A team of scientists at the University of California, San Diego studied this issue closely. They focused on a group of medicines called anticholinergic drugs. These drugs are used to treat many conditions. For example, they can help with runny noses from allergies, lower high blood pressure, or calm overactive bladders. But these helpful effects might come at a cost.
The researchers wanted to find out whether these medicines might slowly affect how people think and remember things. To study this, they looked at 688 older adults. On average, these people were about 74 years old, and they didn’t have any memory problems when the study began.
Each person was asked about the medicines they were taking — how often they took them and for how long. Then, once a year, the researchers tested their memory and thinking skills. They kept checking in with the participants for up to 10 years to see if anything changed over time.
What they found was concerning. People who regularly took anticholinergic drugs were more likely to have trouble with their memory compared to people who didn’t take these drugs. In fact, their chances of developing memory problems were nearly 50% higher.
And the risks didn’t stop there.
Some people have certain proteins in their brains that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease — a serious memory disorder that gets worse over time. Even though these people didn’t yet have Alzheimer’s, their brains already showed early warning signs. Among these people, those who also took anticholinergic drugs were four times more likely to have memory trouble.
Others in the study had a family history of memory problems or carried a specific gene that increases the risk of Alzheimer’s. In this group, taking these medicines more than doubled the chance of having memory issues.
Why does this matter so much?
Memory helps us live our daily lives — from remembering where we left our keys, to recognizing loved ones, or even remembering how to get back home. As we grow older, our memory naturally weakens a little.
But if a common medicine makes that worse, it can create serious problems. Someone might forget to take their regular medicine, leave the stove on, or wander away and not remember how to get back.
So what should you do?
If you or someone you know takes medicine for allergies, high blood pressure, or other common conditions — especially if they are older — don’t panic. But it is a good idea to talk to a doctor. Ask if the medicine could affect memory and whether there are safer options. Sometimes, just switching to a different drug could help protect the brain.
This study reminds us that even everyday medicines can have long-term effects on our health. It’s always smart to stay informed, ask questions, and work with your doctor to make the best choices for your body and your brain.
If you care about dementia, please read studies that eating apples and tea could keep dementia at bay, and Olive oil: a daily dose for better brain health.
For more health information, please see recent studies what you eat together may affect your dementia risk, and time-restricted eating: a simple way to fight aging and cancer.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
