Benzodiazepine & nonbenzodiazepine prescriptions for Taiwanese elderly with type 2 diabetes contributes to cognitive dysfunction.
BACKGROUND
This study examined the relationship of cognitive function and benzodiazepine/nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics (BZD/nonBZD) and other risk factors in a national sample of Taiwan's elderly diabetic patients.


METHODS
Data were drawn from the "2005 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)", a population-based study of a national sample of adults aged 65 years and older. A total of 653 participants were included in this study. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to evaluate patient's cognitive function for which the cut-off score is education-adjusted.


RESULTS
There were 130 participants left in the diabetic group and 523 participants in the control group. The average age was 74.2 and 73.3 respectively. The rate of cognitive dysfunction in DM and non DM participants was 11.5% (15/130) and 8.4% (44/523). Compared with those without diabetes in multivariate logistic regression, the odds ratio of cognitive impairment was 1.87-fold higher for diabetic patients (95% CI 1.04-3.61) after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, and BZD/nonBZD. Other factors were not significant. We performed an additional logistic analysis for which the odds ratio of cognitive impairment in diabetic patients with BZD/nonBZD was significantly increased to 2.41 (95% CI 1.08-5.40) than for patients without diabetes and BZD/nonBZD.


CONCLUSIONS
In our research, cognitive dysfunction was associated with diabetes. BZD/nonBZD may have conferred additional risk of cognitive impairment in our elderly diabetic patients. We should consider examining the mental function of DM patients regularly and try our best to avoid potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs).
Department of Pharmacy, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Yung-Rung
YR
Lai
Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.|Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Yi-Sun
YS
Yang
Department of Pharmacy, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Min-Ling
ML
Tsai
Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.|Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Chien-Ning
CN
Huang
School of Health Policy and Management, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Jeng-Yuan
JY
Chiou
D000368:Aged; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan
D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D001569:Benzodiazepines