Disability pension is associated with the use of benzodiazepines 20 years later: A prospective study

Hartz, Ingeborg; Lundesgaard, Eldar; Tverdal, Aage

doi:10.1177/1403494808101372

Cited by 10 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Also the patients being prescribed higher doses are more likely to be short term users. As in other studies, we found males using higher doses for a shorter time and females being prescribed lower doses for a longer period of time (17). It is difficult to determine whether long term use of the drug in low doses is due to intermittent intake of larger doses or if the drug taking is spread evenly over time.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 42%

“…The incidence rate was around 15 per 1000 person-years, but probably fell by as much as 10% per year. As found in earlier studies, more females than males were prescribed benzodiazepines (16,17). The mean volume used was often very low and for the most part quite stable.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…Even though we know about the adverse effects of benzo- (16). Having a chronic condition and being on disability pension increases the likelihood of being prescribed benzodiazepines (17,18). Being female, older and using high doses increases the chances of becoming a long term user (19,20).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The basic pharmacoepidemiology of benzodiazepine use in Norway 2004-9

Bramness¹,

Sexton²

2011

Nor J Epidemiol

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Objectives: Benzodiazepines are effective and safe drugs for treatment of insomnia, anxiety, epilepsy and muscle spasm, but there is also a potential for harmful use, abuse and addiction. Even though these drugs are used extensively, have been on the market for 50 years, and quite a few reports have been published on risk factors and patterns of use, the basic epidemiological parameters of use, such as incidence, prevalence, mean volume used and duration of use have not been documented in Norway. The aim of this study was to describe these basic pharmacoepidemiological parameters of benzodiazepine use. Methods: Data were drawn from the Norwegian prescription database with an observation period of 5 years and 10 months between

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 42%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

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The basic pharmacoepidemiology of benzodiazepine use in Norway 2004-9

Bramness¹,

Sexton²

2011

Nor J Epidemiol

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“…So being on a disability pension, as also shown in an earlier study, seems to have an impact both on initiation of benzodiazepine use in the first place, and on later use (Blennow et al, 1994;Hartz et al, 2009). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…All inhabitants aged 40-42 years at the time of screening in the counties Østfold (1985 and 1988) and Aust-Agder (1986 and1989) In addition to disability status, several other factors at baseline, associated with the use of benzodiazepines, were included in our analysis; age, gender, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, marital status, physical activity, use of analgesics, and cardiovascular morbidity. Details from the questionnaire, from which the variables in our analysis are defined, are described elsewhere (Hartz, Lundesgaard, Tverdal, & Skurtveit, 2009). The code of reimbursement is also recorded and this can function as a proxy of diagnosis.…”

Section: Health Survey Information On Independent Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disability pension as predictor of later use of benzodiazepines among benzodiazepine users

Hartz¹,

Tverdal

Skille³

2010

Social Science & Medicine

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The proportion of Norwegians on disability pensions has doubled since the 1980s. The Norwegian Government wants action to stimulate the working capacity in those disability pensioners who have the potential to work. Information on factors that may impair rehabilitation efforts, including the unfavourable use of benzodiazepines, may be useful in this context. A longitudinal design, including data on 40-42 year old participants in Norwegian health surveys (year 1985-89) linked to a prescription database (year 2004-06), was used to describe risk of long-term use of benzodiazepines among disability pension recipients. The study-population constituted benzodiazepine users at baseline.More than half of those on disability pensions, 57% of all men and 65% of all women, retrieved benzodiazepine prescriptions 20 years later, a span covering a large part of the potential active workforce period. Further, the observed amount of benzodiazepines dispensed over a three year period indicated more than sporadic use; e.g. half of the female disability pensioners were dispensed an amount of benzodiazepines corresponding to the use of a daily dose every second day over a three year period (median 450 daily doses). The majority of those who was dispensed benzodiazepines, was dispensed opioids as well: half of all men and 3 out of four women. And last, being on a disability pension was a predictor of benzodiazepine use 20 years later.In conclusion, this prospective study provides new information on the epidemiology of benzodiazepine use in disability pensioners. Our study suggests that benzodiazepines are extensively and unfavourably used among disability pensioners, and that disability 3 pension may have an independent effect on long-term use. Improved management of benzodiazepine use may be one alternative to get disability pensioners with the potential to work back into employment.

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Use of anxiolytic or hypnotic drugs and total mortality in a general middle‐aged population

Hausken

Skurtveit

Tverdal

2007

Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug

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PurposeThe aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the consumption of anxiolytic or hypnotic drugs on total mortality in a general population.MethodsWe followed a cohort of 7225 men and 7726 women aged 40–42 years who underwent health surveys in 1985–1989 in two Norwegian counties, with respect to deaths. Mean follow‐up period was 18 years. The subjects were categorised according to frequency of anxiolytic or hypnotic drug use during the last month: daily, every week, less than every week and not used during the last month.ResultsThe proportion of anxiolytic or hypnotic drug users was 6.6% among men and 16.2% among women. Altogether 402 men and 290 women died. There was an increase in risk of death with an increase in frequency of use. Crude hazard ratios for men and women daily using anxiolytics or hypnotics were 3.1 (95%CI 2.0, 4.8) and 2.7 (1.9, 4.0), respectively, as compared with non‐users last month. After adjusting painkiller use and smoking the hazard ratios were lowered, being 2.4 (1.5–4.0) (men) and 2.1 (1.4–3.2) (women). After additional adjustments for other possible confounders the hazard ratios were further attenuated to 1.5 (0.9–2.7) for men and 1.7 (1.1–2.6) for women.ConclusionsDaily users of anxiolytic or hypnotic drugs in our study showed higher crude mortality than non‐users. However, after adjusting lifestyle and socio‐economic variables the difference was markedly reduced suggesting that the remaining excess mortality is due to residual confounding. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Disability pension is associated with the use of benzodiazepines 20 years later: A prospective study

Cited by 10 publications

References 14 publications

The basic pharmacoepidemiology of benzodiazepine use in Norway 2004-9

The basic pharmacoepidemiology of benzodiazepine use in Norway 2004-9

Disability pension as predictor of later use of benzodiazepines among benzodiazepine users

Use of anxiolytic or hypnotic drugs and total mortality in a general middle‐aged population

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