Prolonged use of benzodiazepines, drugs useful to treat anxiety and insomnia, is linked to higher risks of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a new study indicates.
Researchers looked at the benzodiazepine drug use in 1,796 elderly patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease living in Quebec and compared them to a control group of elderly without diagnosed cognitive problems. They found that the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease increases among elderly patients who use benzodiazepines.
Benzodiazepine use was not shown to cause Alzheimer’s, however the authors recommend that unwarranted long term use of these drugs should be considered as a public health concern.
Original research paper published in the British Medical Journal on September 9, 2014.
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