Common anticholinergic medicines may raise cardiovascular risk https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12916-026-04751-w People who use drugs with anticholinergic effects, drugs for urinary incontinence and common antihistamines, are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-common-anticholinergic-medicines-cardiovascular-large.html The new study suggests that the drugs may also affect the parasympathetic nervous system and thereby the regulation of the cardiovascular system. Those with the highest exposure had a 71% higher risk of a cardiovascular event than people who did not use anticholinergic medication at all. The association was seen for all types of cardiovascular disease but was particularly clear for heart failure and various forms of arrhythmia.