Older Adults With Dementia Face Higher Risk Of Death From Any Opioid Use

Older adults aged 65 years and older with dementia who use opioids face a higher risk of death, compared to older adults with dementia who do not use opioids. In an outcomes review of more than 75,000 Denmark residents diagnosed with dementia, 10,474 (33.1%) study participants died within 180 days after initiating their first opioid prescription, compared with 3,980 (6.4%) of the who died during the same period but who were not prescribed opioids. After adjusting for potential differences between groups, the researchers found a fourfold increased excess mortality risk. 

The risk of death from . . .