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Benzodiazepine use is common in older adults (13.5%) and does not decrease with advanced age. This highlights the need for benzodiazepine deprescribing strategies in geriatric populations.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Pharmacology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Benzodiazepine use is prevalent in older adults.
  • Effective deprescribing strategies are needed for this population.
  • Understanding current use patterns is crucial for developing interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of benzodiazepine use in adults aged 65 and older.
  • To inform a benzodiazepine deprescribing strategy.
  • To analyze benzodiazepine use across different age groups within the geriatric population.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study design.
  • Analysis of admission medication data from 107,504 hospitalized adults aged 65+.
  • Data collected from two West Virginia academic medical centers (2010-2018).

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of benzodiazepine use was 13.5%.
  • Benzodiazepine use remained consistent across age groups over 65, including those over 89.
  • No significant decrease in use was observed with increasing age.

Conclusions:

  • Benzodiazepine use is a significant issue in older adults, persisting even in the oldest age groups.
  • Targeted assessment and deprescribing efforts are essential.
  • Interventions should consider the consistent prevalence across advanced age.