Benzodiazepines May Boost Pneumonia Risk, Especially in Seniors

A study published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry suggests benzodiazepines and related drugs (BZRDs) elevate the risk of developing pneumonia in older adults, reports Medscape . The meta-analysis of 10 studies covering more than 120,000 pneumonia cases estimated that the odds for developing pneumonia were 1.25 times higher in BZRD users versus non-users. Past users did not have this higher risk. "Current or recent exposure to BZRD is associated with increased pneumonia risk," the researchers concluded. A higher risk of pneumonia was consistently associated with BZRD use in subgroup analyses, while short- and intermediate-acting BZRDs were connected to a substantially increased risk of pneumonia compared to long-acting BZRDs. Furthermore, the likelihood of an association between BZRD use and pneumonia was significantly higher in people 65 or older versus individuals younger than 65.