The risk of cognitive impairment in older community-dwelling women after benzodiazepine use

• Published in: Age and ageing 2009-03, Vol.38 (2), p.226-228
• Main Authors: Lagnaoui, Rajaa, Tournier, Marie, Moride, Yola, Wolfson, Christina, Ducruet, Thierry, Bégaud, Bernard, Moore, Nicholas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Benzodiazepines; Benzodiazepines - administration & dosage; Benzodiazepines - adverse effects; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; Cognitive ability; Cognitive impairment; Cohort Studies; Dementia; Dementia - epidemiology; Drug abuse; Education; Estrogens; Female; Humans; Incidence; Institutionalization; Older women; Prescription drugs; Quebec - epidemiology; Residence Characteristics; Risk assessment; Risk Factors
• ISSN: 0002-0729; 1468-2834
• DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afn277

Long-term benzodiazepine (BZD) use has been associated with cognitive impairment that was reversible [1, 21 or not [3]. Few cohort studies have examined the association between BZD use & incident cognitive decline or dementia [4]. Chronic BZD users had a significantly increased risk of cognitive impairment, while episodic or recurrent users had not [5]. In the French community-dwelling persons, BZD use was associated with an increased risk of dementia [6]. Nevertheless, the study design did not allow us to rule out a protopathic bias, whereby BZDs could be prescribed for early symptoms of cognitive impairment resulting in a spurious association. Another study reported a lower incidence of dementia in older persons using BZDs [7]. Since subjects exposed only at baseline were not distinguished from those exposed both at baseline & follow-up assessments, a depletion of susceptible effect may explain the protective effect finding [8], as BZDs may have been discontinued in subjects with incident cognitive impairment. To help clarify the association between BZD use & cognitive decline, a case-control analysis was carried out using data from a large representative cohort of Canadian older women, in order to examine the association between BZD use & the occurrence of cognitive decline including dementia. Adapted from the source document.