Taking benzodiazepines is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, particularly for long-term users, suggests a study published on thebmj.com, with researchers warning that unwarranted long-term use should be considered a public health concern.
Although an increased risk of dementia has been identified in benzodiazepine users, the nature of this association, whether causal or not, remains unclear. So a team of researchers based in France and Canada set out to investigate the relationship.
Using data from the Quebec health insurance programme database (RAMQ), they tracked the development of Alzheimer’s disease in a sample of elderly residents living in Quebec, Canada who had been prescribed benzodiazepines. Over a period of at least six years, they identified 1,796 cases of Alzheimer’s disease. They then compared each case with 7,184 healthy people matched for age, sex, and duration of follow-up.
Results show that past use of benzodiazepines for three months or more was associated with an increased risk (up to 51 per cent) of Alzheimer’s disease. The strength of association increased with longer exposure and with use of long-acting benzodiazepines rather than short-acting ones.
Further adjustment for symptoms that might indicate the start of dementia, such as anxiety, depression or sleep disorders, did not meaningfully alter the results.
Source: Aidan Hanratty, Irish Medical Times, 17/09/14
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