Benzodiazepine Harms Overlooked, Especially in Older Adults

A study of older adults in the United States, Canada, and Australia published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society found the use of benzodiazepine among seniors "remains inappropriately high — particularly in those aged 85 and older — which warrants further attention from clinicians and policy-makers," reports Medscape . Using prescription claims data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Ontario Drug Benefit Program, and the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the researchers analyzed annual incident and prevalent benzodiazepine use among people 65 or older between January 2010 and December 2016. The entire cohort included more than 8.2 million individuals. There was a significant and linear decline in prevalent benzodiazepine use in all three countries during the study period. It declined from 9.2 percent to 7.3 percent in the U.S., from 18.2 percent to 13.4 percent in Ontario, and from 20.2 percent to 16.8 percent in Australia. Incident use of benzodiazepine also fell significantly in the U.S. and Ontario, but its decline in Australia was nonsignificant. Nevertheless, the team says "in spite of consistent messaging about the hazards of using benzodiazepines in this population, the rates of benzodiazepine use in older adults remain high," perhaps associated with a tendency by both clinicians and recipients to minimize the risk these drugs pose. High use among the oldest adults in Canada and Australia was especially worrisome, given the greater potential for harm in this demographic.