Medicines for depression that help people aged 30-50 years old can pose a threat to the health of older people (over 60 years old), said American researchers, whose scientific work was published by Live Science.
Most doctors who prescribed medications to their patients to cope with depression and anxiety did not even suspect that they were harmful to people of advanced age, whose body is no longer able to effectively absorb these drugs, ”the study authors report.
According to scientists, we are talking about benzodiazepines, which are a class of psychoactive drugs or tranquilizers with anxiolytic, sedative and anticonvulsant effects. These include alprazolam (xanax), clonazepam (clonopin), chlordiazepoxide (librium), diazepam (valium), quazepam (doral), estazolam (millet), flurazepam (dalman), temazepam (restoril), triazolam (oxalazepam) (serax), midazolaam and others.
These drugs help relieve the feeling of anxiety and anxiety, muscle cramps, and also help fight sleep disorders. But representatives of the American Geriatric Society sounded the alarm: in their opinion, older people are quite sensitive to such drugs. “As a rule, benzodiazepines increase the risk of hallucinations, fainting, dizziness, the development of cognitive impairment, as well as a decrease in concentration, which can lead to accidents and accidents,” the scientists said.
According to scientists, the risk is not only drugs, but the fact that older people often visit different doctors who prescribe medications that are not compatible with each other. As a result, the body of the elderly is not able to properly absorb the combination of all prescribed drugs.