The Annals of pharmacotherapy
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Is Benzodiazepine Use Associated With the Risk of Dementia and Cognitive Impairment-Not Dementia in Older Persons? The Canadian Study of Health and Aging.
Background: The use of benzodiazepines in relation to cognitive decline remains an area of controversy in aging populations. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the risk of cognitive impairment-not dementia (CIND), Alzheimer disease (AD), and all-cause dementia with benzodiazepine use. The effect modification by sex was also investigated. ⋯ All these effects were similar between men and women. Conclusion and Relevance: Benzodiazepine use in older people from the general population is related to subsequent occurrence of cognitive dysfunction but not implicated in the pathogenesis of dementia or AD. Caution should be exercised when prescribing benzodiazepines to preserve global cognitive function.