ArticleDrugs & aging2026
Benzodiazepine Prescription and Use in the Older Adults in Catalonia, Spain from 2018 to 2022: A Drug Utilization Study.
Article in Drugs & aging, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectiveBenzodiazepines (BZDs) remain among the most frequently prescribed psychotropic drugs in older adults, despite well-documented risks and guideline recommendations for short-term use. This study analyzed BZD prescribing trends among individuals aged ≥ 65 years in Catalonia, Spain, between 2018 and 2022.
methodsA retrospective drug utilization study was conducted using anonymized electronic health records from the SIDIAP (Information System for Research in Primary Care) database, covering approximately 80% of the Catalan population. All patients aged ≥ 65 years with at least one BZD prescription were included. Data were analyzed by sex, age group, onset of action, and duration of effect. Utilization was expressed in defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day.
resultsThe study included 463,446 older adults (68.2% women; mean age 77.1 ± 8.0 years) with 1,731,408 BZD prescriptions. Rapid-onset BZDs accounted for 51.9% and intermediate-onset for 45.2% of prescriptions; slow-onset drugs were 2.95%. Intermediate-acting BZDs predominated by duration (47.6%), followed by short-acting BZDs (31.9%) and long-acting BZDs (20.4%). Women had higher use than men across all age groups (e.g., short-acting < 75 years: 233.6 vs 106.6 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day). Median treatment duration was longest for intermediate-acting BZDs (219 days, interquartile range 59-365) and intermediate-onset BZDs (221 days, interquartile range 59-365).
conclusionsBenzodiazepine prescribing among Catalan older adults remains high, dominated by rapid-onset and short-acting to intermediate-acting agents, with widespread long-term use. These findings highlight the need for structured medication reviews, deprescribing programs, and prescriber education to reduce inappropriate BZD exposure in this population.
Identifiers
42844552What OpenQuestion holds
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.