Observational studyJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2018
Benzodiazepine Use in Older Adults in the United States, Ontario, and Australia from 2010 to 2016.
Observational study in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Deprescribing Benzodiazepine Receptor Agonists in Older Adults and People With Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2025Pooled it
- Application of a diazepam milligram equivalency algorithm to assess benzodiazepine dose intensity in Rhode Island in 2018.Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy · 2022Pooled it
- De-Implementing Low-Value Care in Dentistry: The Case for Choosing Wisely Campaigns.Community dentistry and oral epidemiology · 2026Article
- Impact of policy measures targeting benzodiazepines and Benzodiazepine-related drugs in Lithuania: interrupted time series analysis.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Article
- Benzodiazepine prescribing patterns among Medicare providers, 2017 to 2023.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Pattern and Associated Factors of Benzodiazepine Discontinuation Among Older Adults Following Hospitalization.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2025Article
- Psychiatric and racial/ethnic differences in incident and long-term benzodiazepine use: A commercial healthcare claims study.Journal of psychiatric research · 2025Article
- Does Physicians' Clinical Competence, Communication Ability, or Cultural Background Influence Potentially Inappropriate Prescribing of Benzodiazepines and Z-Drugs Among Older Adults With Insomnia?Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2024Article
- A scoping review of motor vehicle operator performance assessments for benzodiazepine receptor agonists.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2024Article
- Article
- The use of benzodiazepines and the mental health of women in prison: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Article
- Use of Benzodiazepines and Z-Drugs in Multiple Sclerosis.Frontiers in neurology · 2022Article
- Geriatric Depression and Inappropriate Medication: Benefits of Interprofessional Team Cooperation in Nursing Homes.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- An Association Between Cardiologist Billing Patterns, Health Care Use, and Outcomes in Cardiac Patients.CJC open · 2021Article
- Potentially inappropriate medications in Chinese older adults: a comparison of two updated Beers criteria.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2021Article
- Benzodiazepine Use among Medicare, Commercially Insured, and Veteran Older Adults, 2013-2017.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2021Observational
- Addressing Problems With Alcohol and Other Substances Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry · 2020Article
- Trends in the consumption rates of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-related drugs in the health region of Lleida from 2002 to 2015.BMC public health · 2020Article
- Comparison of Payment Changes and Choosing Wisely Recommendations for Use of Low-Value Laboratory Tests in the United States and Canada.JAMA internal medicine · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesTo detail annual trends in benzodiazepine incidence and prevalence in older adults between 2010 and 2016 in three countries.
designObservational multicountry cohort study with harmonized study protocol.
settingThe United States (veteran population); Ontario, Canada; and Australia.
participantsAll people aged 65 and older (8,270,000 people). MEASUREMENTS: Annual incidence and prevalence of benzodiazepine use stratified according to age group (65-74, 75-84, ≥85) and sex. We performed multiple regression analyses to assess whether rates of incident and prevalent use changed significantly over time.
resultsOver the study period, we observed a significant decrease in incident benzodiazepine use in the United States (2.6% to 1.7%) and Ontario (6.0% to 4.4%) but not Australia (7.0% to 6.7%). We found significant declines in prevalent use in all countries (United States: 9.2% to 7.3%; Ontario: 18.2% to 13.4%; Australia: 20.2% to 16.8%). Although incidence and prevalence increased with age in Ontario and Australia, they decreased with age in the United States. Incidence and prevalence were higher in women in all countries.
conclusionConsistent with other international studies, there have been small but significant reductions in the incidence and prevalence of benzodiazepine use in older adults in all three countries, with the exception of incidence in Australia, although use remains inappropriately high-particularly in those aged 85 and older-which warrants further attention from clinicians and policy-makers.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.