The Effects Of Anticholinergic Burden On Daily Living Activities In Elderly Patients

The Effects Of Anticholinergic Burden On Daily Living Activities In Elderly Patients

The anticholinergic burden was calculated based on the medications that the patients had used for more than 10 days. Short-term medications used by patients were not evaluated. Among all the medications used by the patients, those with anticholinergic effects were scored according to the scale, and the total anticholinergic burden was calculated by adding them up. Those who had no anticholinergic score were considered to have no anticholinergic burden.

The study cohort will be stratified into two cohorts, distinguished by the presence or absence of anticholinergic burden. To evaluate the impact of anticholinergic burden on daily living activities and instrumental ADL, the groups will be compared with respect to hand grip strength and walking speed.In this study, the anticholinergic burden will be calculated based on medications used by the patients for more than 10 days, excluding short-term medications. Each medication with anticholinergic effects will be assigned a score according to a scale, and the total anticholinergic burden will be determined by summing up the scores. Patients without any anticholinergic score will be classified as having no anticholinergic burden.

The study cohort will be divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of anticholinergic burden. To assess the impact of anticholinergic burden on daily living activities (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs, the groups will be compared in terms of hand grip strength and walking speed.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being over 65 years old
• Patients without a diagnosis of dementia and with MMSE>24
• Patients who can communicate (without hearing or visual problems)
• Those who give written consent to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a diagnosis of dementia at their initial visit,
• Bedridden patients (those with visual impairments)
• Patients with walking difficulties (due to pain, prostheses, visual problems, etc.), vitamin D deficiency (10) (20ng/dl>) or those who use assistive devices (walker, cane, etc.) or those with sequelae of cerebrovascular events or hip fractures.
• Patients with a diagnosis of delirium,
• Those who underwent major surgery in the last 6 months,
• Those who experienced cardiac or cerebrovascular events during the follow-up period,
• Patients with infectious diseases,
• Those who did not sign or withdrew their consent form.