Factors associated with long-term benzodiazepine and Z-drug use across the lifespan and 5-year temporal trajectories among incident users: a Swedish nationwide register-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Despite being discouraged by guidelines, long-term use of benzodiazepines and related Z-drugs (BZDR) remains frequent in the real-world. An improved understanding of factors associated with the transition from new to long-term BZDR use and of temporal BZDR use trajectories is needed. We aimed to assess the proportion of long-term BZDR use (> 6 months) in incident BZDR-recipients across the lifespan; identify 5-year BZDR use trajectories; and explore individual characteristics (demographic, socioeconomic and clinical) and prescribing-related factors (pharmacological properties of the initial BZDR, prescriber's healthcare level, and concurrent dispensing of other medications) associated with long-term BZDR use and distinct trajectories.

Methods

Our nationwide register-

SUBMITTER: Isomura K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10361867 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature