AUGS Consensus Statement: Association of Anticholinergic Medication Use and Cognition in Women With Overactive...

Overactive bladder affects a significant portion of the overall population and has substantial impact on daily activities and quality-of-life. When considering treatment, behavioral therapies should be instituted first, followed by medical therapies. Anticholinergic medications and beta-3 agonists are often used as initial pharmacologic therapy, but caution should be taken in prescribing anticholinergic medications in frail or cognitively impaired patients. Recently, concerns have developed regarding anticholinergic medications and the associated risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer disease in the general population. Given the available evidence, which has shown significant associations between anticholinergic medication use and increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, providers should counsel on the associated risks, prescribe the lowest effective dose, and consider alternative medications in patients at risk.