Medications widely used for anxiety and insomnia are linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's in a new study.
The study, published Tuesday in the medical journal BMJ, does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between benzodiazepines – drugs such as Xanax, Ativan and Valium – and dementia. But it does show Alzheimer's was 51% more common in older adults who took the drugs in the past.
The risk started to show up with three months of use and rose from there. It was greatest in patients who took long-acting versions.
Read more: http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/10/alzhemers-medication-anxiety-sleep/15383315/
Wed Sep 10, 2014 1:21 pm