Do Anxiety Pills Have a Dark Side? Research Reveals Dementia Risks

Research at Saint Louis University School of Medicine highlights a significant association between anxiety and an increased risk of dementia in seniors, with benzodiazepine exposure further elevating this risk by 28%.

Research from Saint Louis University School of Medicine finds that among patients 65 and older, a diagnosis of anxiety was significantly associated with an increased risk of dementia diagnosis, and benzodiazepine exposure was associated with a 28% increased risk of dementia. However, when benzodiazepines were prescribed to patients with an anxiety disorder, there was no significant association between these medications and incident dementia.

The study, “Anxiety Disorders, Benzodiazepine Prescription and Incident Dementia,” was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Benzodiazepines are a group of medications often used to help calm the nerves and reduce anxiety. These drugs work by slowing down the brain’s activity, which helps ease the mind and relax the body. Some of the well-known benzodiazepines include Alprazolam (also known as Xanax), Diazepam (commonly called Valium), and Lorazepam (known as Ativan), all of which are primarily used to manage anxiety symptoms.

Study Findings

Jay A. Brieler, M.D., associate professor of family and community medicine at SLU, is the paper’s first author. Jeffrey Scherrer, Ph.D., professor of family and community medicine and a member of the AHEAD Institute, is the senior author.

The study’s authors found while there is an association between anxiety and dementia, and an association between benzodiazepines and dementia, there is no association between these medications and dementia when prescribed to persons with an anxiety disorder.

The Controversial Role of Benzodiazepines

It is unknown whether treating late-life anxiety disorders with benzodiazepines exposes patients to additional risks of dementia. Anxiety in older adults can be linked with AHEAD) Research Institute at Saint Louis University, captures clinical encounters starting from Jan. 1, 2008, from academic and non-academic ambulatory and inpatient settings in the Midwest.

The VDW includes more than 5 million patients from birth to 90 years of age who have utilized services in the healthcare system since 2008.

Eligible patients were 65 years of age or older, had clinic encounters before and after index and were free of dementia for two years prior to index date. Of the cohort, 85.6% were white and 59.9% were female. The median age was 74.

Five million Americans 65 or older had an DOI: 10.1111/jgs.18515

Funds to maintain the Virtual Data Warehouse came from the Saint Louis University Research Institute. Saint Louis University is a member of the Health Care Systems Research Network.

Other authors include Joanne Salas, MPH, of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Saint Louis University, Harry S. Truman Veterans Administration Medical Center, Columbia, Mo., and the Advanced HEAlth Data (AHEAD) Research Institute at SLU; Matthew E. Amick, Poorva Sheth, Elizabeth A. Keegan-Garrett, M.D., of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Saint Louis University; and John Morley, MBBCh., of the AHEAD Institute at SLU.