title: Long-term sedative use among community-dwelling adults: a population-based analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic use of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-like sedatives (z-drugs) presents substantial risks to people of all ages. We sought to assess trends in long-term sedative use among community-dwelling adults in British Columbia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using population-based linked administrative databases, we examined longitudinal trends in age-standardized rates of sedative use among different age groups of community-dwelling adults (age ≥ 18 yr), from 2004 to 2013. For each calendar year, we classified adults as nonusers, short-term users, or long-term users of sedatives based on their patterns of sedative dispensation. For calendar year 2013, we applied cross-sectional analysis and estimated logistic regression models to identify health and socioeconomic risk factors associated with long-term sedative use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than half (53.4%) of long-term users of sedatives in British Columbia are between ages 18 and 64 years (young and middle-aged adults). From 2004 to 2013, long-term sedative use remained stable among adults more than 65 years of age (older adults) and increased slightly among young and middle-aged adults. Although the use of benzodiazepines decreased during the study period, the trend was offset by equal or greater increases in long-term use of z-drugs. Being an older adult, sick, poor and single were associated with increased odds of long-term sedative use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite efforts to stem such patterns of medication use, long-term use of sedatives increased in British Columbia between 2004 and 2013. This increase was driven largely by increased use among middle-aged adults. Future deprescribing efforts that target adults of all ages may help curb this trend.
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia (Weymann, Gladstone, Smolina, Morgan), School of Population and Public Health; British Columbia Cancer Agency (Weymann), Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control, Vancouver, BC.
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weymann
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia (Weymann, Gladstone, Smolina, Morgan), School of Population and Public Health; British Columbia Cancer Agency (Weymann), Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control, Vancouver, BC.
authors.forename: Emilie J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Gladstone
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia (Weymann, Gladstone, Smolina, Morgan), School of Population and Public Health; British Columbia Cancer Agency (Weymann), Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control, Vancouver, BC.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smolina
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia (Weymann, Gladstone, Smolina, Morgan), School of Population and Public Health; British Columbia Cancer Agency (Weymann), Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control, Vancouver, BC.
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Morgan