Several small research efforts had already hinted at a possible benzodiazepine-dementia link. This new, larger study bolsters those earlier findings. Among older adults who had taken benzodiazepines (BZDs) for three months or longer at some point in the past, risk for Alzheimer’s disease—the most common form of age-related dementia—increased by 51% (compared to people who had never been prescribed BZDs). MORE: How Exercise Could Protect You From Alzheimer’s The longer a person had been on BZDs, the higher her risk for Alzheimer’s soared, the study authors say. Greater Alzheimer’s risk was also associated with long-acting (as opposed to short-acting) forms of those drugs. “The deleterious effects of benzodiazepines on memory are well documented,” says study co-author Sophie Billioti de Gage, who researches drug-disease connections at France’s University of Bordeaux. While the specifics of how BZDs could lead to the development of Alzheimer’s are still murky, de Gage says the established short-term memory drawbacks associated with these drugs could hurt your brain’s ability to deal with the early stages of decay that eventually morph into Alzheimer’s. Of course, it’s also possible that whatever’s causing a person’s sleep or anxiety issues—and not the meds—is the real culprit when it comes to the uptick in Alzheimer’s risk, de Gage and her colleagues allow. But in an editorial released alongside the study, third party experts point out that, because the study participants’ risk for Alzheimer’s increased in proportion to the length of their BZD use, the evidence suggests the drug (and not an underlying health condition) causes or contributes to the development of the disease. MORE: A New (And Promising) Breakthrough in the Battle to Block Alzheimer’s “Benzodiazepines are valuable tools for managing anxiety and insomnia,” de Gage says. She points out that most international guidelines for BZD use call for short-term use only—less than the 3-month-or-more duration her research linked to Alzheimer’s. “It seems crucial to encourage physicians to carefully balance the benefits and risks when renewing a person’s treatment,” she says. While the news may make you want to flush your meds, don’t. Quitting BZD drugs cold turkey could lead to potentially scary withdrawal symptoms like panic attacks, headaches, and suicidal thoughts. Instead, talk to your doctor about your concerns.
