How are anticholinergic agents primarily eliminated from the body?

Anticholinergic agents are primarily eliminated from the body through liver metabolism followed by excretion in urine. This process involves the hepatic metabolism of the drugs, where they are processed by liver enzymes into metabolites that are often more water-soluble. Once metabolized, these compounds are then eliminated from the body through the kidneys, being filtered out and excreted in the urine.

The reason this option is valid is that after administration, many anticholinergics undergo extensive first-pass metabolism in the liver, which transforms them into other forms that can be more easily handled by the renal system. This helps in managing the drug levels in the bloodstream and facilitating their removal from the body.

While some medications can be excreted unchanged in urine, it is more characteristic of specific drugs and not the primary route for most anticholinergic agents. Similarly, excretion through bile and sweat glands plays a minor role in the elimination of these medications compared to urinary excretion, underlying the importance of liver metabolism followed by renal excretion.