Anticholinergic Burden Persists in VA Long-Term Care, Antihistamines Undercounted
This large, barcode-verified cohort shows that one in three VA nursing home residents receives anticholinergic medications, with first-generation antihistamines emerging as a major, deprescribable, and previously undercaptured contributor even among residents with dementia.
📅 Journal publication: Aug 2026(online Jun 30, 2026)·Last updated: Oct 13, 2026
{
"summary": {
"Why it matters": "Anticholinergic medications are associated with negative outcomes in older adults, particularly those with dementia; understanding usage patterns is crucial for deprescribing initiatives.",
"Key results": "33.4% of residents used anticholinergic medications, with significant use among those with dementia. A modest decline in overall use was observed from 2007 to 2019.",
"Practice relevance": "This study highlights the need for targeted deprescribin
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Authors:Hayes CA, Li Y, Jing B, Graham LA, Dave C, Odden MC
Citation:Hayes CA, Li Y, Jing B, et al. Anticholinergic Medication Use in Veterans Affairs Long-Term Care Residents: Clinical Patterns and Opportunities for Deprescribing. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2026;74(8):2285-2296. doi:10.1111/jgs.70570
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Executive Summary
Study Design
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