Anxiety medications under scrutiny for Alzheimer's risk

Benzodiazepines such as Valium, Xanax, and Ativan, widely prescribed for anxiety and insomnia, are known to affect memory and cognition in the short term. Might they also have a more serious, longer-term effect on the brain?

Perhaps, a recent study concludes. Those who had taken the drugs were 51 percent more likely to have Alzheimer's than were those who had never taken benzodiazepines, according to the study analyzing data on 8,990 adults older than 66.

The longer people took the drugs, the greater their risk for Alzheimer's. Those who took the drugs for less than 90 days had essentially the same risk as those who never took them. But risk nearly doubled for people who took them for longer than six months.

Adults, especially older people, who take benzodiazepines may be affected. The drugs have a calming effect on the body and work quickly, unlike antidepressants, which can take weeks to have an effect. The American Geriatrics Society lists benzodiazepines as inappropriate for treating older people for insomnia or agitation because of their negative effect on cognition seen in that age group and an increased likelihood of falls and accidents. But some recent estimates note that half of older adults take benzodiazepines.

The study authors noted caveats: Use of the drugs "might be an early marker of a condition associated with an increased risk of dementia and not the cause." The study also did not prove that the drugs caused Alzheimer's, but rather found a link between their use and occurrence of the disease. - Washington Post