SLIDE 8 12/8/18
Overdose
cause overdose
sedatives can be fatal – EtOH, opiates (esp MTD)
- Opioids + BZDs = synergy (?)
vs additive effect – Users: a more intense high – More research needed
September 2017
The combined use of these drugs increases the risk of serious side effects; however, the harm caused by untreated opioid addiction can outweigh these risks.
BZDs & Dementia
- Use of sedative-hypnotics and the risk of Alzheimer's dementia: A
retrospective cohort study; Lee, Joonki et al. N = 268,170
– PLoS One. 9/18 – risk of AD significantly associated with sedative-hypnotics use regardless of prescribed dosage, drug type, or half-life of benzodiazepine.
- Association between Benzodiazepine Use and Dementia: A Meta-
Analysis; Zhong G
– PLoS One. 5/15. – Long term BZD use is associated w/ dementia – Causal? More prospective cohort studies with long term f/u are needed.
BZDs & Dementia
- 2014: older adults using BZDs for longer than 3 months - 51%
greater risk of Alzheimer’s.
– Anxiety & insomnia often sxs of AD - still found independent risk
- 4 other prior studies (2002 -2012) similar results
– Increased risk of dementia, cognitive decline
- Benzodiazepine use and risk of incident dementia or cognitive
decline: prospective population based study
– BMJ; 2/16, N = 3400 – Risk of dementia slightly higher w/ minimal exposure to BZDs but not w/ the highest level of exposure. – Results do not support a causal association between BZD and dementia.
BMJ September 9, 2014; BMJ 2012;345:e6231; Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2009 Jul;17(7):614-20; Psychological Medicine / Volume 35 / Issue 03 / April 2005, pp 307-315; Journal of Clin Epi Volume 55, Issue 3, March 2002, Pages 314–318