Risk of hospitalization associated with anticholinergic medication for patients with dementia

Background With the ageing of the general population, demand has grown for measures to prevent hospitalization for dementia, which can exacerbate problems associated with activities of daily living in elderly individuals. Anticholinergic medication has been shown to cause falls, delirium, and cognitive impairment in aged patients. However, the risk of hospitalization associated with the administration of anticholinergics is unclear. Methods We analyzed the records of 61 outpatients (26 men, 35 women; mean age: 78 ± 7 years; mean follow‐up period: 420 days) diagnosed with dementia (Alzheimer’s disease: n = 45; dementia with Lewy bodies: n = 3; undifferentiated n = 13) and prescribed anti‐dementia drugs between May 2013 and December 2014. Medication history was noted, and the patients were divided into two groups according to the Anticholinergic Risk Scale: with risk (n = 13) and without risk (n = 48). Outcome was judged based on an end‐point of hospitalization or death. Kaplan–Meier survival and Cox proportional hazard analyses were performed. Results Eight patients with anticholinergic risk and 12 without anticholinergic risk reached the end‐point (P