We have been asked a few questions about whether benzodiazepines (like diazepam/Valium; lorazepam/Ativan; alprazolam/Xanax, etc) cause Alzheimer disease. The link below takes you to a study that indicates there is an association. However, the study design does not prove causation. In other words, the study does not prove benzodiazepines caused Alzheimer disease. Another explanation based on the study is that more people who were developing Alzheimer disease had sleep problems or anxiety problems (which we know is true) and, therefore, took more benzodiazepines and subsequently were diagnosed with Alzheimer disease. An analogy: Let’s say that you root for the baseball team Chicago Cubs or the Chicago White Sox and also cheer for the Chicago Bears (football). This doesn’t mean rooting for the Cubs or Sox causes you to root for the Bears. They are all home teams and, therefore, a higher number of people living in Chicago are likely to be rooting for the home team Bears not because they root for the Cubs or Sox but as result of living in Chicago. More study needs to be done to determine if the benzodiazepines are a cause of Alzheimer disease. (and the Cubs and White Sox need to win more to make sure Chicago fans continue to root for them). bmj/content/349/bmj.g5205 The authors do recommend caution in benzodiazepine use until this is further studied.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 03:19:51 +0000
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