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Billioti de Gage S, Moride Y, Ducruet T, Kurth T, Verdoux H, Tournier M, Pariente A, Bégaud B. Benzodiazepine use and risk of Alzheimer's disease: case-control study. BMJ. 2014 Sep 9;349:g5205. PubMed.
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Karolinska Institute
As the authors state, it still cannot be ruled out that benzodiazepine use might be an early marker of a dementia disorder or a condition associated with an increased risk of dementia. Also, it is important to separate a possible long-term effect of these drugs on the progression of a dementia, from the well-known cognitive side effects of an ongoing benzodiazepine treatment. This study demonstrated a significant association between benzodiazepine use and risk of dementia also in persons for whom benzodiazepine treatment was discontinued for at least one year before the date of diagnosis; a finding which would argue against a direct cognitive side effect of the treatment. However, other drugs with potential negative effects on cognition may be over-represented in bensodiazepine users – both present and former. So, as the analyses were not adjusted for the use of such drugs, we cannot rule out the possibility that current medication may play a role in the observed increased risk of dementia.
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