Dementia Risk Higher Among Older Adults With Anxiety & Among Those With Sustained Use Of Benzodiazepines

Older adults diagnosed with anxiety are 19% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia. Those who had at least two separate prescriptions for benzodiazepines within six months (sustained use) were 28% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia. However, those who had anxiety disorder and sustained use of benzodiazepines were not more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

The risk of dementia among this population was analyzed in a retrospective cohort study using electronic health data from 2014 to 2021. The data source included records for 72,496 people aged 65 years or older who had clinic encounters for anxiety . . .