OVERACTIVE BLADDER MEDICATIONS AND DEMENTIA

Episode Summary

Urinary incontinence affects 20% to 65% of women depending on their age, parity and menopausal status. In this Better Edge podcast, Emi Bretschneider, MD assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology with a specialization in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, discusses the link between dementia and medications used to treat overactive bladder.

"Anticholinergic use has been associated with nearly 65% increased risk of developing dementia with a dose-dependent effect," says Dr. Bretschneider. "So while these studies are mainly observational and don't necessarily show a cause and effect relationship between anticholinergics and cognitive changes such as dementia, the amount of data that we have now is piling up and it can't be ignored, especially considering the significant clinical implications of these findings."