Assessing cognitive effects of anticholinergic medications in patients with coronary artery disease

Cognitive function is a significant determinant of overall quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease. Medications prescribed to control vascular risk factors often have anticholinergic effects, which can cause central side effects and affect cognitive function.

This cross-sectional study aimed to identify cognitive deficits associated with the use of anticholinergic medications in patients with coronary artery disease.

Demographics, medications, and vascular risk factors were assessed for each patient by interview and chart review. Anticholinergic burden was estimated using the anticholinergic cognitive burden scale. Cognition was assessed objectively using a battery of neuropsychologic tests, including the California Verbal Learning Test second edition, Revised Brief Visuospatial Memory Test, Stroop test, Trail-Making Test Parts A and B, Digit-Symbol Coding, FAS test, and animal naming.

Patients with coronary artery disease (mean ± standard deviation age 64.2 ± 9.1, 15.3% female) presented with 2.6 ± 1.4 vascular risk factors and were using 5.1 ± 1.8 medications. Scores on the anticholinergic cognitive burden scale were associated with poorer performance on the Trail-Making Test Part A (β = 0.280, p = 0.002), Trail-Making Test Part B (β = 0.256, p = 0.004), and animal naming (β = -0.212; p = 0.015) tasks in models controlling for age, gender, years of education, number of vascular risk factors and total medications. Beta-blockers frequently prescribed in this population (i.e., metoprolol and atenolol) accounted for a large proportion of the total anticholinergic cognitive burden score, and their use was independently associated with poorer cognitive performance in a post hoc model including the anticholinergic estimate.

Anticholinergic exposure was associated with poorer performance on tests of attention, speed, and executive function in patients with coronary artery disease.