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Use of anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs such as benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (e.g., zolpidem [Ambien and generics], zaleplon [Sonata and generics]) is associated with adverse effects, including daytime fatigue, accidents, and falls (NEJM JW Gen Med Mar 28 2013). To determine whether people taking anxiolytic or hypnotic drugs are at elevated risk for death, investigators in the U.K. conducted a retrospective cohort study in which 35,000 primary care patients (age, ≥16) who were first prescribed anxiolytics, hypnotics, or both between 1998 and 2001 were matched by age, sex, and practice site with almost 70,000 patients for whom these drugs were not prescribed. Mean follow-up was 7.6 years.
After adjustment for age and multiple potential confounder…