Can Some Medications Increase Dementia Risk?

When you take medications, you expect them to help you feel better, manage underlying health issues more effectively, and lead a healthier life overall. But while there’s no denying that medicines can be beneficial, there’s also emerging evidence that some may increase your risk of developing dementia, particularly when taken over a long period of time.

Before exploring further, it’s important to note that you should never stop taking medicine on your own, nor should you assume that your medication could be a risk. It’s important to talk with your healthcare team to understand emerging data so you can address your concerns.

To that end, the experienced providers at Advanced Medical Care provide comprehensive neurology services and offer this brief overview examining the potential dementia risk that might be associated with medications you may be taking.

Anticholinergic medications: Worth keeping an eye on

Anticholinergic medications are perhaps the most widely studied with regard to potentially increasing the risk of dementia. These medicines block the action of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger involved in cognitive activities like memory and learning. 

Anticholinergics treat a wide range of medical issues, including allergies, depression, urinary incontinence, and certain gastrointestinal and neurological conditions, including Parkinson's disease.

In 2025, researchers published a review of 68 meta-analyses and found “moderate-certainty” evidence of an increased risk of dementia among patients taking anticholinergics. The study did note confounding factors that may have a bearing on their results, and researchers explicitly stated that they found no sufficient evidence to advise changing medications based on their study results. Research is ongoing.

Other medications may affect cognition

Anticholinergics aren't the only medications that have been studied in terms of their potential effects on future dementia risk. Benzodiazepines have also received scrutiny.

These medications are used to treat common medical issues like anxiety and seizures. Recent research has focused on a potential association between benzodiazepine use and the development of dementia — but the evidence thus far has proven inconclusive or very limited.

Likewise, long-term use of opioid medications and sleep aids have been scrutinized with inconclusive results. Even certain types of heartburn medications have shown the potential to affect cognition when taken for a long time.

Not just medications: Other factors at play

The type of medication isn’t the only factor when it comes to evaluating dementia risk. Underlying health conditions — like depression, anxiety, hypertension, and high cholesterol — can influence dementia risk, too. 

And because some of these medicines are used to control these and other common health issues, it’s not always clear which factors are having a cognitive impact — the medication itself, the condition it’s treating, or both.

Duration also matters. It makes sense that the longer you take a medication, the greater its potential effects — including potential adverse effects, like increasing cognitive issues. Taking potentially concerning medications in the short term to treat an acute problem probably doesn’t carry the same potential impact on your brain activity as medications you take for years.

People who take multiple medications may also have an elevated risk of dementia independent of any individual medication. That could be due in part to the underlying issues being treated, but also because many medications interact with each other, sometimes in ways we don’t yet fully understand. 

Multiple medicines also makes it easier to mess up a dose, which in turn can have an impact on a medication’s overall effects.

Count on our neurology team for answers about your health

When it comes to your personal health, educating yourself is essential. Never stop taking medications or change your dose based on something you’ve read online. Instead, make a list of questions to ask our knowledgeable team during your next visit.

Request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Advanced Medical Care in Forest Hills, Queens, and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York.