Differences in health status between long-term and short-term benzodiazepine users.
BACKGROUND
Despite generally accepted advice to keep treatment short, benzodiazepines are often prescibed for more than six months. Prevention of long-term benzodiazepine use could be facilitated by the utilisation of risk indicators for long-term use. However, the characteristics of long-term benzodiazepine users described in the literature are based on studies in which long-term users were compared with non-users. Thus these characteristics may be imprecise.


OBJECTIVE
To study the characteristics of long-term benzodiazepine users by comparing their demographic data and health status (mental and physical) with those of short-term users.


METHODS
Cross-sectional comparison of short-term and long-term benzodiazepine users.


METHODS
Patients from 32 GP practices of the Nijmegen Health Area, The Netherlands.


METHODS
The characteristics of 164 short-term and 158 long-term benzodiazepine users in general practice were compared, using interview data and morbidity referral and prescription data from GP records.


RESULTS
Long-term benzodiazepine users were (a) older, (b) had a more severe history of mental health problems for which they had received more serious treatment, (c) used more psychotropic drugs, (d) had a higher hospital specialist consultation frequency, (e) had more diagnoses of the following: diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension a serious skin disorder, and (f) reported a lower perceived general health status. There were no sex differences.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific risk characteristics of long-term benzodiazepine users can be used to develop a risk profile for the management of benzodiazepines in general practice. We believe that (somatic) secondary care also contributes to benzodiazepine use. It may be worthwhile to coordinate care for benzodiazepine users between GPs and hospital specialists.
Zandstra
S M
SM
Department of General Practice, University Medical Centre, St Raboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. S.zandstra@hsv.kun.nl
Furer
J W
JW
van de Lisdonk
E H
EH
Bor
J H J
JH
Zitman
F G
FG
van Weel
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines