Researchers in the U.K. find in a 22-year prospective study of 1134 men, 103 of whom took benzodiazepines regularly for one or more period of the study, that benzodiazepine use was associated with a more than tripled risk of dementia. This effect was observed even after adjustment for psychological distress and other covariables.
Abstract → Gallacher, J., Elwood, P., et. al; Benzodiazepine Use and Risk of Dementia: Evidence from the Caerphilly Prospective Study (CaPS). Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 2012; 66:869-893
Benzodiazepine Use Linked With Development of Dementia (Pulse)
When will NAMI get the message?
Duane
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With any other medication, and increased risk like this would result in pulling the products from the market. With antidepressants the risk for death in older patients is substantial. From a blog by paul Andrewa et al. on this site :
“In the study published in the British Medical Journal, antidepressants were estimated to cause 10 to 44 deaths out of a 1000 people over a year, depending on the type of antidepressant. In comparison, the painkiller Vioxx was taken off the market in the face of evidence that it caused 7 cardiac events out of 1000 people over a year. Since cardiac events are not necessarily fatal, the number of deaths estimated to be caused by antidepressants is arguably of much greater concern.” http://www.madinamerica.com/2012/09/things-your-doctor-should-tell-you-about-antidepressants/#comments.
Why is nothing done to forbid marketing of these products?
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