Many of us take medicine to treat things like colds, allergies, or high blood pressure.
But did you know that some of these common drugs might hurt your memory?
A new study from the University of California, San Diego, looked into this question. The researchers focused on a type of medicine called anticholinergic drugs.
These drugs help treat many problems. Some lower blood pressure. Others treat allergies or help with cold symptoms. You can buy some of them at the store, while others need a prescription from your doctor.
The scientists studied 688 older adults. On average, these people were 74 years old. At the beginning of the study, they had no memory problems.
The researchers asked the participants which medicines they took and how often they used them. Then, they tested the participants’ memory and thinking skills every year, for up to 10 years, to see if there were any changes.
What did they find? People who took these anticholinergic drugs had a higher chance of developing memory problems. Their risk was about 50% higher than people who didn’t take the drugs.
That’s not all. Some people in the study had signs in their bodies that made them more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease in the future. For these people, the risk was even worse. If they took the drugs, they were four times more likely to have memory problems.
Also, some people have a gene that runs in their family that makes them more likely to get Alzheimer’s. If these people used the drugs, their risk of memory issues was more than double.
Why is this important? Memory helps us do everyday things—like remembering names, where we put our keys, or how to get home. As we get older, our memory naturally gets a bit weaker. But if medicines we take are making it worse, that could be dangerous.
Older people are especially at risk. Forgetting to turn off the stove or getting lost can be serious problems.
If you or someone you know takes these medicines, there’s no need to panic. But it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor. They can help you understand the risks and decide whether to keep taking the medicine or switch to something else.
This research reminds us that even everyday medicines can affect our brains. Paying attention to what we take—and how it affects us—is an important part of staying healthy as we age.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about inflammation that may actually slow down cognitive decline in older people, and low vitamin D may speed up cognitive decline.
For more health information, please see recent studies about common exercises that could protect against cognitive decline, and results showing this MIND diet may protect your cognitive function, prevent dementia.
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