According to the research conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, anticholinergics, a common drug can cause the elderly people to slow down in their daily activities.

Anticholinergic drugs which treat diseases and conditions that include acid reflux, Parkinson’s disease and urinary incontinence can cause older people to lose their thinking capability rapidly as compared to those who do not take these medicines.

The results were true and were tested even in elders who have normal memory and thinking abilities. When the they take this medicine, their function was similar to that of someone who is three or four years older. The common medicines cited in the report were Adalat, Procardia, Zantac and Detrol.

The results of the study suggest that the physicians should carefully consider the implications and possible side effects when prescribing anticholingeric medications to the elderly.