New Delhi, October 22 (IANS). A new study on Wednesday claimed that some antihistamines – i.e. anti-allergy medicines – may increase the risk of dementia in the elderly.
According to an estimate, more than 57.4 million people worldwide are suffering from dementia. It is feared that this number will almost triple to 152.8 million by 2050.
Talking about the symptoms, initially memory loss, difficulty in understanding words, confusion, and changes in mood and behavior can be felt.
An analysis published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that older hospitalized patients who were given high doses of first-generation antihistamines were more likely to suddenly develop severe confusion.
“First-generation antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine, are among the most common drug-related harms in the elderly,” said researchers at the University of Toronto.
The team analyzed data from 328,140 patients aged 65 and older who were admitted by 755 attending physicians at 17 hospitals in Ontario, Canada, during 2015-2022.
They found that the overall probability of delirium (sudden onset of extreme confusion or ups and downs of emotions) was 34.8 percent. Physicians who commonly prescribed first-generation antihistamines were 41 percent more likely to have patients experience sudden mood changes than physicians who rarely prescribed first-generation antihistamines.
Delirium, which occurs in up to 50 percent of hospitalized older adults.
“We hope our study will alert hospital physicians that sedating antihistamines can be harmful, and should be prescribed with caution,” said corresponding author Aaron M. Drucker, of the University of Toronto and Women’s College Hospital.
The team said that even when prescribed for histamine-mediated conditions (symptoms caused by histamine), first-generation antihistamines do not provide much benefit compared to non-hypnotic antihistamines.
–IANS
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