Which BEERS category is specifically associated with anticholinergic effects such as confusion, constipation, and urinary retention in older adults?

Which BEERS category is specifically associated with anticholinergic effects such as confusion, constipation, and urinary retention in older adults?

• A. Anticholinergic drugs
• B. Benzodiazepines
• C. Antipsychotics
• D. Diabetes medications

Answer: (A)

Beers criteria flag medications that have anticholinergic effects because they commonly cause confusion, constipation, and urinary retention in older adults. These drugs block acetylcholine in the nervous system, and as age-related changes reduce drug clearance and brain sensitivity, older patients are especially vulnerable to delirium and functional decline from these anticholinergic properties. So the category that specifically captures this risk is anticholinergic drugs. Other options relate to different risk profiles—sedation and fall risk with benzodiazepines, extrapyramidal and metabolic concerns with antipsychotics, and diabetes meds addressing glucose control rather than anticholinergic burden.

Beers criteria flag medications that have anticholinergic effects because they commonly cause confusion, constipation, and urinary retention in older adults. These drugs block acetylcholine in the nervous system, and as age-related changes reduce drug clearance and brain sensitivity, older patients are especially vulnerable to delirium and functional decline from these anticholinergic properties. So the category that specifically captures this risk is anticholinergic drugs. Other options relate to different risk profiles—sedation and fall risk with benzodiazepines, extrapyramidal and metabolic concerns with antipsychotics, and diabetes meds addressing glucose control rather than anticholinergic burden.