Posted under Uncategorized on September 12th, 2014 by Editorial Team / No Comments

Researchers from the University of Bordeaux, France and the University of Montreal, Canada have released findings that suggest regularly taking sleeping pills could play a role in the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Benzodiazepines – such as diazepam, temazepam and lorazepam – are commonly prescribed for anxiety and sleeplessness. Many people take the drugs as a matter of course to help them get off to sleep or deal with stress. For example, six million prescriptions for benzodiazepines were written in England in 2013 alone. But the research, published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that taking this kind of medication for three months or more may be linked to a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s within five years.

People were found to be between 43% and 51% more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, with the risk being at the higher end of the spectrum the longer people had been taking benzodiazepines.

Whilst the findings are certainly not conclusive, they represent a point of concern for health professionals and patients alike, particularly when benzodiazepines are so widely prescribed. However, the discovery of some kind of link between these drugs and Alzheimer’s could help us to better understand the condition; and perhaps leave us better-placed to develop effective treatments. 

Date of prep. January 2015                     RXUKPDGL00004t

Tags: Alzheimer’s, anxiety, benzodiazepines, diazepam, insomnia, lorazepam, sleeping pills, sleeping tablets, temazepam