H2 blockers linked to mental decline? (General)
:: Monday, May 5th, 2008 @ 12:54:32 pm
This article on WebMD should be of interest to folks who are taking Pepcid to combat Asian Blush.
Aug. 3, 2007 – Long-term use of H2 blockers, including Axid, Pepcid, Tagamet, and Zantac, may increase the risk of mental decline in later life…
The study showed that after taking into account other factors, elderly people who reported “continuous use” of H2 blockers had a 2.4-fold higher chance of some form of cognitive impairment.
The article cites a study on 1,558 over-65 African-Americans, and only concludes that more study is needed.
Journal RSS 
here’s the link for the actual study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pu.....d_RVDocSum
ill try to find the full paper and read it
maybe we could do something similar with young asians, adjusting for the cognitive effect of drinking and find out
this is just a quick note to let you know that the internal link isn’t working.
Fixed. Thanks, Markus.
Let me assure you, Eric, that this is irrelevant to you and your readership, as are (*hopefully*) most articles in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society!
What this paper is talking about is the fact that use of H2-blockers (and all other medications with anticholinergic effects) can increase cognitive problems in the elderly. In those people who experience cognitive decline while using such medications, discontinuation of the offending agent typically relieves the impairment. Suffice it to say, though, that those most affected are usually those with the poorest cognitive substrate in the first place.
Regardless, this article should NOT give pause to young people who use H2-blockers, whatever the regularity of use.