The cross-sectional association of frailty with past and current exposure to strong anticholinergic drugs

Anticholinergic drugs may contribute to frailty by impairing cognitive and physical functions. Strong anticholinergic drugs in particular may have adverse effects among older adults. Determine the association between frailty and the use of strong anticholinergic drugs among older US Veterans. This is a cross-sectional study of community-dwelling Veterans 65 years and older who had determinations of frailty status. Prescription data for patients using strong anticholinergic medications (never/past/current) was obtained via electronic health records. A 31-item VA Frailty Index (VA-FI) was generated at the time of the assessment. We dichotomized the groups into non-frail (FI =