Both anticholinergics and beta-3 agonists used to treat patients with overactive bladder have been associated with the development of dementia.
The research team of professors Ham Won-sik and Park Ji-soo from the Department of Urology at Severance Hospital of Yonsei University announced on the 7th that they have identified the risk of developing dementia due to the use of anticholinergics and beta-3 agonists , which are drug treatments for patients with overactive bladder. The results of this study were published in the international academic journal “European Urology Focus”.
Professor Won-sik Ham and Ji-soo Park, Department of Urology, Severance Hospital
Overactive bladder is a disease in which the bladder reacts too sensitively, causing a frequent need to urinate. According to the Korean Society of Urinary Disorders and Incontinence, approximately 12.2% of domestic adults suffer from it. As we age, the function of the urinary nerves and bladder muscles that transmit urine discharge signals weakens, so older people are at greater risk of suffering from an overactive bladder. Even young people can experience overactive bladder due to stress and other mental problems.
If overactive bladder symptoms are not severe, they can be relieved with lifestyle changes alone, but if symptoms are severe, drug treatment should be considered. Mainly anticholinergics and beta-3 agonists are used. However, anticholinergics are known to increase the incidence of dementia, and beta-3 agonists are recognized as relatively stable drugs, but their relationship with the onset of dementia has not been clearly revealed.
The research team used cohort data from the National Health Insurance Corporation to identify 3,452,705 patients diagnosed with overactive bladder from 2015 to 2020. Patients who received drug treatment with anticholinergics alone, beta-3 agonists alone or in combination the risk of developing dementia was compared.
The mean follow-up period was 1 year and 10 months, and among all patients, 56.3% (1,943,414 people) received anticholinergic drug monotherapy, 19.5% (671,974 people) received beta-3 agonist monotherapy, and 19.5% (671,974 people) received anticholinergic drug monotherapy. combination therapy. 24.2% (837,317 people) received it.
As a result of the analysis, it was found that 5.8% of all patients treated with drugs for hypersensitivity (blister) developed dementia. In patients treated with anticholinergic monotherapy, 6.3% developed the disease. In particular, the group that received combined treatment with anticholinergics and beta-3 agonists showed the highest incidence of dementia at 6.7%. Furthermore, 3.1% of patients in the beta-3 agonist monotherapy group, recognized as a relatively stable drug, developed the disease.
Professor Ham Won-sik said: “Not only have we confirmed that combination therapy of beta-3 agonists and anticholinergics has a higher risk of developing dementia than monotherapy with anticholinergic drugs, but also that monotherapy with beta-3 agonists might also increase the incidence of dementia depending on the cumulative amount of use.” “Even beta-3 agonists, which are known to be relatively stable, may be associated with the development of dementia, so caution is needed when using the drug,” he said.
This research was conducted with the support of the Mid-Career Researcher Support Project (Type 1-2) of the Korean National Research Foundation under the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Journalist Jeong Yong-cheol jungyc@etnews.com
#Drug #treatment #patients #overactive #bladder #increases #risk #dementia
