Benzodiazepines, often referred to as “benzos,” are commonly prescribed medications used to treat conditions such as anxiety and insomnia. These include drugs like Ativan, Xanax, and Clonazepam. In the United States alone, millions of people use these anti-anxiety medications. Over the past decade, research has indicated that prolonged use of these drugs may be associated with addiction and cognitive impairments, including dementia, particularly in individuals aged 60 and above.

For instance, a study published in the British Medical Journal discovered a correlation between dementia and the use of anti-anxiety medications like benzos. The study followed nearly 9,000 older adults for six years after they began using the medication for insomnia or anxiety. The findings suggested that those who used benzos were 51 percent more likely to develop dementia, and the risk increased the longer the drugs were used (1).

Another study compared over 70,000 non-institutionalized Finnish men and women diagnosed with dementia from 2005-2010 with a larger demographic-matched group without dementia (2). The researchers concluded that individuals taking benzodiazepines and related drugs had a slightly increased risk of developing dementia.

The type of benzo taken did........

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