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Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Using Retinal Imaging to Study Dementia
Published on: November 6, 2017
Risk of Dementia in Long-Term Benzodiazepine Users: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Qian He1, Xiaohua Chen2, Tang Wu1
1Department of Out-Patient, West China Hospital, Sichuan Uniwersity, Chengdu, China.
Background And Purpose:
There is conflicting evidence in the literature on the association between benzodiazepines (BDZs) and the risk of dementia. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the relationship between the long-term usage of BDZs and the risk of dementia.
Methods:
The PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched for relevant publications up to September 2017. The literature search focused on observational studies that analyzed the relationship between the long-term use of BDZs and the risk of dementia. Pooled rate ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were assessed using a random-effects model. The robustness of the results was checked by performing subgroup and sensitivity analyses.
Results:
Ten studies were included: six case-control and four cohort studies. The pooled RR for developing dementia was 1.51 (95% CI=1.17-1.95, p=0.002) in patients taking BDZ. The risk of dementia was higher in patients taking BDZs with a longer half-life (RR=1.16, 95% CI=0.95-1.41, p=0.150) and for a longer time (RR=1.21, 95% CI=1.04-1.40, p=0.016).
Conclusions:
This meta-analysis that pooled ten studies has shown that BDZ significantly increases the risk of dementia in the elderly population. The risk is higher in patients taking BDZ with a longer half-life (>20 hours) and for a longer duration (>3 years).
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