anticholinergic burden (ACB) and risk of acute cardiovascular events

Last edited 09/2023 and last reviewed 10/2023

Anticholinergic burden (ACB) and risk of acute cardiovascular events

  • study evidence indicates a potential negative impact of medications with anticholinergic properties on mortality and CVD (cardiovascular disease) incidence in middle and older age population (1)
    • compared to people with no anticholinergic burden (ACB=0), people with total ACB >=3 from medications had hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.83(1.53,2.20) and 2.17(1.87,2.52) for mortality and CVD incidence outcomes, respectively, after adjusting for potential confounders

  • Huang et al showed that a recently raised anticholinergic burden was associated with an increased risk of acute cardiovascular events
    • study (n=317,446 adults admitted to hospital with acute CV event) found an association between recently raised anticholinergic burden (using the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale) and increased risk of acute CV events, with greater burden resulting in higher CV event risk
    • a dose-response relation was found between anticholinergic burden and risk of acute cardiovascular events

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