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Long-Term Use of Benzos May Shrink the Brain, Study Finds
What Are Benzodiazepines?
Benzodiazepines, also called “benzos,” are drugs that help with conditions like insomnia, anxiety, and seizures. They work by calming down the brain and spinal cord, which helps people relax, reduces muscle spasms, and can make them sleepy. Popular benzos include drugs like Xanax.
New Findings on Brain Health
A recent study involving nearly 5,500 people suggests that using benzodiazepines for a long time can cause parts of the brain involved in memory and mood to shrink. This supports current guidelines advising against long-term use of these drugs.
Risks and Guidelines
Benzos are known to be highly addictive. They can cause memory and movement problems if used for too long. The FDA recommends using the lowest possible dose for the shortest time necessary, usually around two to four weeks. However, between 6% and 15% of patients use benzos for more than six months.
Study Details
The study, published in BMC Medicine, looked at the medical records of 5,443 adults in the Netherlands who had no cognitive issues initially. The researchers tracked their benzo use from 1991 to 2008. They found that about half of the participants had used benzos, and 13% were diagnosed with dementia by 2020. However, taking benzos did not increase the risk of developing dementia.
Brain Changes
The study did find that benzos are linked to faster shrinkage of the hippocampus and amygdala, brain regions involved in memory and mood. Brain scans from about 4,800 participants showed that these parts of the brain shrank faster in those who took benzos. There were also differences in white matter, the brain tissue that carries signals between neurons. People who took benzos for sleep problems experienced a quicker reduction in white matter volume compared to those who took them for anxiety.
Implications
Ilse vom Hofe, a co-senior author of the study, emphasized that these findings support guidelines recommending against long-term benzo use. The results also suggest that health professionals should explore other treatments for the conditions benzos are used to address.
Study Limitations
The study only included people who were initially cognitively healthy, so it’s unclear how benzos might affect those with cognitive impairments. Most participants were white, which may limit the applicability of the findings to other groups.
