Mortality in elderly men with low psychosocial coping resources using anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs.
OBJECTIVE
Insufficient coping with stress may lead to increased susceptibility for disease and death. Use of anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs has been suggested as a coping strategy, and some opinions have proposed their use as preventive medication. The aim of this study was to estimate if use of anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs counters the increased mortality observed in individuals lacking other coping strategies such as emotional support and social participation.


METHODS
A population based cohort study with 10-year (1982/83-1993) survival analysis was performed in 491 men born in 1914, living in the Swedish city of Malmö.


RESULTS
Compared with men with a high level of psychosocial coping resources who did not use anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs, men with a low level of psychosocial coping resources had a higher risk of death irrespective whether they used anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs, RR = 1.7 (95% CI 1.1-2.6) or not RR = 1.8 (95%: 1.3-2.5).


CONCLUSIONS
Anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs do not seem to counter increased mortality in elderly men with low psychosocial coping resources.
Merlo
J
J
Department of Community Medicine, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. juan.merlo@smi.mas.lu.se
Ostergren
P O
PO
Månsson
N O
NO
Hanson
B S
BS
Ranstam
J
J
Blennow
G
G
Isacsson
S O
SO
Melander
A
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D000368:Aged; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D001569:Benzodiazepines