High-dose benzodiazepine use and QTc interval prolongation, a latent class analysis study

Benzodiazepine (BDZ) addiction is a widespread and multifaceted phenomenon. For many patients, especially females, the concomitant use of other drugs also increases their risk of QTc prolongation, possibly leading to complications such as seizures and even sudden death. However, the relationship bet...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2024-01, Vol.14 (1), p.155-155, Article 155
Main Authors: Zamboni, Lorenzo, Portoghese, Igor, Casari, Rebecca, Fusina, Francesca, Santin, Laura, Lecca, Luigi Isaia, Campagnari, Simone, Carli, Silvia, Zandonai, Thomas, Lugoboni, Fabio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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692/4019
Addictions
Adult
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines - adverse effects
Electrocardiography
Female
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Latent Class Analysis
Long QT Syndrome - chemically induced
Long QT Syndrome - epidemiology
multidisciplinary
Risk Factors
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Seizures
Substance use
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Summary:Benzodiazepine (BDZ) addiction is a widespread and multifaceted phenomenon. For many patients, especially females, the concomitant use of other drugs also increases their risk of QTc prolongation, possibly leading to complications such as seizures and even sudden death. However, the relationship between BDZ use and QTc prolongation is currently unclear. The present study aims to examine patterns of polysubstance use among a sample of Italian adults with BDZ dependence in relation with their QTc prolongation risk. We used Latent Class Analysis (LCA) on data collected from 251 inpatients of the Addiction Medicine Unit in Verona to group patients into three classes according to their substance use and their QTc prolongation risk. Results showed no significant relationship between QTc prolongation and BDZ use in any of the classes considered. We conclude that BDZs, even if used long-term and at high dosages, can be considered safe in terms of cardiovascular complications for patients.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-50489-3