Benzodiazepine and antidepressant use in elderly patients with anxiety disorders: a survey of 796 outpatients in Japan.
Since the literature on benzodiazepine use in elderly patients with anxiety disorders is limited, a large cross-sectional review of psychotropic prescriptions in 796 patients with neurotic disorders (ICD-10) (age range=11-91 years) was conducted across 30 sites in Japan. Use of benzodiazepine-derivative anxiolytics was approximately 70% in all decades without a group difference. The proportion of subjects who received prescriptions for benzodiazepine-derivative anxiolytics in the absence of antidepressants was higher in older age groups (e.g., 27.7% and 43.2% in the third and sixth decades, respectively). On the other hand, antidepressants were less frequently prescribed in older age groups (e.g., 59.8% and 41.5% in the third and sixth decades, respectively). The very high use of anxiolytics in the elderly, especially in the absence of concomitant antidepressant use, is a cause for concern since they are not a preferred long-term treatment strategy given their adverse effects in the elderly.
Uchida
Hiroyuki
H
Keio University, School of Medicine, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Tokyo, Japan. mcn41320@biglobe.ne.jp
Suzuki
Takefumi
T
Mamo
David C
DC
Mulsant
Benoit H
BH
Kikuchi
Toshiaki
T
Takeuchi
Hiroyoshi
H
Tomita
Masayuki
M
Watanabe
Koichiro
K
Yagi
Gohei
G
Kashima
Haruo
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines