New study says ‘downers’ can be risky for seniors

Syracuse (WSYR-TV/ABC News) - A new study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that drugs used to treat insomnia and anxiety called Benzodiazepines, or downers, could put elderly people at a greater risk of life-altering side effects.

The study shows patients who begin taking the drugs after the age of 65 are nearly 50 percent more likely to develop dementia than those who don’t use them.

The study found that the medications may contribute to serious falls and fractures stemming from those falls in the elderly.

The report concludes that more research is needed on the association between Benzodiazepines and the increased risk of dementia in patients over and under the age of 65.