Risk of Dementia in Long-Term Benzodiazepine Users: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Journal of Clinical Neurology
; : 9-19, 2019.
Article
in English
| WPRIM (Western Pacific)
| ID: wpr-719304
Responsible library:
WPRO
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:
There is conflicting evidence in the literature on the association between benzodiazepines (BDZs) and the risk of dementia. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the relationship between the long-term usage of BDZs and the risk of dementia.METHODS:
The PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched for relevant publications up to September 2017. The literature search focused on observational studies that analyzed the relationship between the long-term use of BDZs and the risk of dementia. Pooled rate ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were assessed using a random-effects model. The robustness of the results was checked by performing subgroup and sensitivity analyses.RESULTS:
Ten studies were included six case–control and four cohort studies. The pooled RR for developing dementia was 1.51 (95% CI=1.17–1.95, p=0.002) in patients taking BDZ. The risk of dementia was higher in patients taking BDZs with a longer half-life (RR=1.16, 95% CI=0.95–1.41, p=0.150) and for a longer time (RR=1.21, 95% CI=1.04–1.40, p=0.016).CONCLUSIONS:
This meta-analysis that pooled ten studies has shown that BDZ significantly increases the risk of dementia in the elderly population. The risk is higher in patients taking BDZ with a longer half-life (>20 hours) and for a longer duration (>3 years).
Full text:
Available
Database:
WPRIM (Western Pacific)
Main subject:
Benzodiazepines
/
Cohort Studies
/
Dementia
/
Half-Life
Type of study:
Etiology study
/
Incidence study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Risk factors
/
Systematic review
Aspects:
Implementation research
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Journal of Clinical Neurology
Year:
2019
Document type:
Article