Long-term use of zopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon among Danish elderly and the association with sociodemographic factors and use of other drugs.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the degree of long-term use of zopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon among Danes aged 65 and older and the association with sociodemographic factors and use of other drugs.


METHODS
Danish register-based study of 5000 men and 5000 women aged 65 or older on 1 January 2004. Information on sociodemographic factors and drug redemptions were collected for 2003, with follow-up of zopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon redemptions in 2004. Long-term use was defined as redemptions corresponding to a continuous daily use for more than 4 weeks (based on ½ DDD). The association between long-term use and sociodemographics and drug use was estimated by logistic regression.


RESULTS
Ten per cent of all men and 16% of all women had a long-term use for minimum 4 weeks corresponding to 94% of the male and 93% of the female users. Four per cent of the men and 6% of the women had redeemed more than ½ DDD per day in 2004. Long-term use was associated with: Being a woman, high age, widowed or divorced, high education and high gross income. Long-term use was also associated with use of other drugs, the association with ATC group N being the strongest. Restricting the analyses to individuals who had minimum one zopiclone, zolpidem or zaleplon redemption gave similar results.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the guidance for length of use is not followed. Long-term use of zopiclone, zolpidem and zaleplon is associated with sociodemographic factors and use of other drugs, particularly from ATC group N.
School of Public Health, Aarhus University, Denmark. ab@telen-andersen.dk
Ane Birgitte Telén
AB
Andersen
Morten
M
Frydenberg
D000081:Acetamides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053961:Azabicyclo Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D000077334:Zolpidem
D000081:Acetamides; D053961:Azabicyclo Compounds; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D010879:Piperazines; D011725:Pyridines; D011743:Pyrimidines; C515050:zopiclone; D000077334:Zolpidem; C085665:zaleplon