Use of 'benzo' sedatives like Valium, Xanax won't raise dementia risk: Study
Benzodiazepines do not appear to increase dementia risk, but could have subtle long-term effects on brain structure, a new study reports.
Jul 2, 2024
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Benzodiazepines do not appear to increase dementia risk, but could have subtle long-term effects on brain structure, a new study reports.
Jul 2, 2024
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After accounting for measurable confounders, the risk for miscarriage is increased in association with benzodiazepine use during pregnancy, according to a study published online Dec. 27 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Dec 28, 2023
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The use of potentially harmful 'trip-killers' to cut short 'bad drug trips' after taking psychedelics, such as LSD or magic mushrooms, is an emerging concern, warn doctors in a research letter, published online in Emergency ...
Dec 20, 2023
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More than 60 years after benzodiazepines were introduced, doctors have uncovered the first reliable evidence to confirm the belief that taking these drugs, such as Valium and Ativan, intermittently rather than continuously ...
Oct 10, 2023
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Patients with pancreatic cancer who took the benzodiazepine lorazepam (Ativan), commonly prescribed to treat anxiety during cancer treatment, had a shorter progression-free survival than patients who did not, according to ...
Aug 17, 2023
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Benzodiazepine use and discontinuation is associated with nervous system injury and negative life effects that continue after discontinuation, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz ...
Jun 28, 2023
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Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and colleagues have identified a small molecule that may help treat people with epilepsy whose condition has become resistant to the benzodiazepine drugs usually used in ...
Mar 14, 2023
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For patients with primary care visits, shorter visit length is associated with potentially inappropriate prescribing decisions, according to a study published online March 10 in JAMA Health Forum.
Mar 10, 2023
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Benzodiazepine exposure during pregnancy seems not to be associated with increased risks for development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study published ...
Nov 30, 2022
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Despite the continuing growth of benzodiazepine (BZD)-related overdoses, BZD prescription rates have held constant. Much is unknown about how a doctor's own beliefs about BZD use and potential harm to patients might influence ...
Nov 29, 2022
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A benzodiazepine /ˌbɛnzɵdaɪˈæzɨpiːn/ (sometimes colloquially "benzo"; often abbreviated "BZD") is a psychoactive drug whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. The first benzodiazepine, chlordiazepoxide (Librium), was discovered accidentally by Leo Sternbach in 1955, and made available in 1960 by Hoffmann–La Roche, which has also marketed diazepam (Valium) since 1963.
Benzodiazepines enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which results in sedative, hypnotic (sleep-inducing), anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and amnesic action. These properties make benzodiazepines useful in treating anxiety, insomnia, agitation, seizures, muscle spasms, alcohol withdrawal and as a premedication for medical or dental procedures. Benzodiazepines are categorized as either short-, intermediate- or long-acting. Short- and intermediate-acting benzodiazepines are preferred for the treatment of insomnia; longer-acting benzodiazepines are recommended for the treatment of anxiety.
In general, benzodiazepines are safe and effective in the short term, although cognitive impairments and paradoxical effects such as aggression or behavioral disinhibition occasionally occur. Long-term use is controversial due to concerns about adverse psychological and physical effects, increased questioning of effectiveness and because benzodiazepines are prone to cause tolerance, physical dependence, and, upon cessation of use after long term use, a withdrawal syndrome. Due to adverse effects associated with the long-term use of benzodiazepines, withdrawal from benzodiazepines, in general, leads to improved physical and mental health. The elderly are at an increased risk of suffering from both short- and long-term adverse effects.
There is controversy concerning the safety of benzodiazepines in pregnancy. While they are not major teratogens, uncertainty remains as to whether they cause cleft palate in a small number of babies and whether neurobehavioural effects occur as a result of prenatal exposure; they are known to cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn. Benzodiazepines can be taken in overdoses and can cause dangerous deep unconsciousness. However, they are much less toxic than their predecessors, the barbiturates, and death rarely results when a benzodiazepine is the only drug taken. When combined with other central nervous system depressants such as alcohol and opiates, the potential for toxicity increases. Benzodiazepines are commonly misused and taken in combination with other drugs of abuse.
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