Increased Alzheimer's risk due to sleeping pills

Prolonged intake of benzodiazepines could promote Alzheimer's dementia

09/10/2014

Who for a long time soothing and sleep-inducing „benzodiazepines“ could possibly have a significantly higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from Canada and France have now come to this conclusion in a new study. According to the study, patients who had taken appropriate medicines for more than three months increased the risk by up to 51 percent.

Immense physical and mental dependence potential
Under the term „e“ It combines various active pharmaceutical ingredients which are given as sleeping pills or as relaxants and tranquilizers in the short term. In addition, however, they are also used for induction of anesthesia as well as for relaxation prior to surgical and diagnostic interventions (for example gastroscopy), and it is not uncommon for them to be used, for example. be prescribed for muscular tension or strong nervousness. Normally, however, e should not be taken over a longer period of time, because experts repeatedly warn against the immense physical and mental dependency potential.

Researchers compare thousands of records
But this does not seem to be the only danger. As researchers from Canada and France currently in the „British Medical Journal“ (BMJ), prolonged use of the drugs may also increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The researchers came to this conclusion after they had compared the insurance data of 1796 Alzheimer's patients with those of 7184 healthy subjects for a new study. The health status of Alzheimer's patients was monitored at least six years before the diagnosis, and in each case the data of three same-sex healthy individuals were compared per case for comparison.

No clear relationship yet
It was found that the risk of Alzheimer's was up to 51 percent higher in those who had taken benzodiazepines for more than three months, and the longer they took the more the risk of Alzheimer's disease increased. However, according to the scientists, the result is not yet clear, because the anxiety-relieving and sleep-promoting effect of the drug has also been shown in patients prior to Alzheimer's diagnosis. Accordingly, it could also be that the active ingredients do not trigger the disease, but are only used to alleviate the first symptoms. Consequently, no clear link between the drugs and Alzheimer's is apparent, but more studies are now needed.

Confusion and panic in elderly patients possible
Nevertheless, the researchers led by Sophie Billioti de Gage from the University of Bordeaux suggest that people take benzodiazepines for no longer than three months. Because in addition to the positive effects and side effects such. Fatigue, headaches and dizziness occur. Elderly people may also experience reactions such as arousal, confusion and panic - so in some countries health authorities are not recommending prescribing to elderly patients. „Our study reinforces the suspicion of an increased risk of Alzheimer's dementia among benzodiazepine users, especially among long-term users [...]. Our findings are of great importance to public health, especially given the prevalence and chronicity of benzodiazepine use in the elderly and the high and increasing frequency of dementia in developed countries“, so the researchers in the BMJ.