The rate of Alzheimer’s Disease has soared in recent decades. No one can really tell us why. If you know just three people over age 85, the odds are that you probably know at least one person with Alzheimer’s Disease. One out of every nine Americans over the age 65 has Alzheimer’s Disease. The repercussions of these facts are very serious, not only at a personal level for the individuals and families affected, but also for our society with so many people needing prolonged supportive care 24/7.
Environmental factors seem to have an impact on the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, as do various dietary influences and exercise patterns. New data from a study published in the British Medical Journal indicate that the rising use of tranquilizers might be one important reason for the rise in Alzheimer’s.
Investigators reviewed records of 9,000 elderly persons over the period of 2000 – 2009, on whom they had at least six years of data. Nearly 1,800 developed Alzheimer’s Disease during the interval. They matched each Alzheimer’s Disease patient with four healthy controls (same age and gender) comparing their usage of benzodiazepines (Ambien, Ativan, Dalmane, Halcion, Klonopin, Librium, Lunesta, Restoril, Serax, Sonata, Xanax, Valium). They carefuly controlled their analysis for all kinds of potentially confusing factors, including other diseases and medications. Patients who had used these medications very little (less than 90 doses over those six to ten years) did not have an increased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. Those who had used more, were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease and the more they used, the more likely they were to have developed Alzheimer’s Disease. People who had used any of these drugs for more than six months, were twice as likely to have developed Alzheimer’s Disease by the end of the study.
Six months (180 days) of use over six to ten years averages out to be twice a month or even less. Many who use these drugs use them much more than that. The study did not investigate the incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease for those individuals using even more of these drugs. As the likelihood of Alzheimer’s Disease rose with increasing use of the drugs, those who used even more might then be even more likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease. Nor did they look at longer use. Again, I have seen many patients who have been using these drugs for decades, not just years.
These drugs are on what is called the BEERS list. The BEERS list was first developed in 1991 by a geriatrician who catalogued the medications most likely to cause serious health problems for elderly people. It is updated by the American Geriatrics Society. US government health agencies track physician prescription of these drugs to elderly patients, working to reduce the usage of these medications because of the danger they pose to the elderly.
Based upon this new evidence, I suspect that there will be increasing pressure to further restrict prescribing of these medications. Regardless of whatever the government determines, it is not in your interest to use these drugs if there is anyway you can avoid them.