Psychiatric News (7/11) reported a study found that “medications with strong anticholinergic burden, including some common psychiatric drugs, were tied to accelerated physical decline when used in older adults, suggesting these medications should be avoided in these patients.” For the study, researchers “looked at data from 4,283 adults 65 years or older without dementia at recruitment.” They examined “participants’ exposure to medications deemed strong anticholinergics, including certain antipsychotics, sertraline and tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and z-drugs.” Researchers observed “that higher cumulative anticholinergic exposure was associated with slightly larger decline rates in gait speed and grip strength beyond aging and comorbidities. Overall, their findings suggested that sustained high use of anticholinergics over several years could result in a gait speed decline that would reach the threshold of clinically meaningful.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open. (SOURCE: APA Headlines)