Are Anti-Anxiety Drugs Safe for Older People?
Although older people are sometimes reluctant to divulge it, many of them experience anxiety. And when an older person is diagnosed with this condition, the best way to treat them is not always clear. In 2004, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that a popular class of anti-anxiety medications, benzodiazepines, increased the risk of hip fractures, and that the risk was highest in the first two weeks of taking the drug. Benzodiazepines, which include drugs such as Valium (diazepam) and Xanax (alprazolam), can lead to falls because they can cause drowsiness and affect balance. Hip fractures are of particular concern to doctors and patients because they are known to profoundly affect quality of life. Only one-third of people who break their hip recover to their pre-fracture level of independence, and about 24 percent of people over age 50 die within a year. Part of the confusion regarding treatment derives from previously research. Some studies have suggested that
