especially important in older adults.
The National Institute on Aging recommends reviewing the entire medication list—including prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements—when cognitive problems appear.
Sedating and anticholinergic effects can add together even when each medication seems harmless on its own.
## Why Anticholinergic Medicines Deserve Special Attention
Among all the medicine groups discussed online, anticholinergic drugs have some of the strongest evidence linking them to short-term cognitive problems.
They interfere with acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in memory and learning.
An NIA-supported study involving more than 3,400
