Benzodiazepine use and risk of dementia: population based study.

The article inquires whether the use of benzodiazepines increases the risk of dementia in elderly people. It is revealed that over a 15 year follow-up period, starting treatment with benzodiazepines increased the risk of dementia by about 50 percent compared with non-users. Adjustment for factors strongly associated with starting benzodiazepines or considered to be markers for a prodrome of early dementia did not alter the association.