Anticholinergic drugs and functional outcomes in older patients undergoing orthopaedic rehabilitation.

Background: Medications with anticholinergic (antimuscarinic) effects negatively affect physical and cognitive function in community-dwelling older patients. However, it is unknown if anticholinergic drugs exert detrimental effects in older patients undergoing rehabilitation.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to assess the effect of anticholinergic drug exposure on functional outcomes in older patients undergoing rehabilitation.