Benzodiazepine For Insomnia Or Anxiety Raises Dementia Risk Among Elderly

They found that the risk of developing dementia during the 20 years that followed were:
  • 4.8 per 100 person years among those on benzodiazepine
  • 3.2 per 100 person years among those not on benzodiazepine
The researchers say that even though benzodiazepine is effective for the treatment of insomnia and anxiety, there is growing evidence that it is linked to a number of adverse outcomes among seniors, including serious falls and fractures caused by falls (however, a 2007 Harvard study found no link between benzodiazepine usage and hip fractures). Now there is another adverse outcome - the possibility of developing dementia.