Drugs such as Piriton, Valium, Imodium and codeine double chances of stroke

Common medications taken by many as a third of pensioners could almost double the chances of dying from a stroke. Both prescribed medicines and ones available over the counter were found to raise the risk of having a stroke. Among commonly prescribed drugs were the painkiller codeine, anti-depressants such as Valium, and beta-blockers. Those that can be bought in chemists included the hayfever remedy Piriton and the diarrhoea treatment Imodium.

A study by the University of Aberdeen found people with a high intake of these ‘anticholinergic’ drugs are 59% more likely to suffer a stroke. Anticholinergic drugs have nothing in common except their effect on the body’s cholinergic system, which regulates the heart and bodily systems like the gut. Already believed to cause memory loss and falls, it is now thought they may cause blood clots which can lead to a stroke.

Dr David Gamble, who led the study of nearly 22,000 people, said: ‘This is important because, worldwide, someone has a stroke every two seconds. A lot of these medicines have a pivotal role in the treatment of disease and we would not want people to become afraid of taking them, but no medication is a magic bullet and they have risks as well as benefits.’

The researchers looked at generic drugs available, including the drugs which are branded and sold as Valium, Imodium and Piriton. Codeine, Imodium and atenolol, a beta blocker taken for angina, are among those with weaker side effects. The painkiller pethidine is stronger, along with some anti-histamines. The strongest, categorised as ‘class three’ by the academics, include amitriptyline, often used for nerve pain, and oxybutynin, for bladder conditions. It is thought the medications can make the heart beat faster or erratically, trapping blood within the heart which, if it clots and reaches the brain, causes a stroke. The study is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.