> This has implications for Alzheimer's and dementia.
Long term use of drugs that interact with the GABA-A receptor have been known to be associated with dementia risk for a very long time.
Zolpidem (Ambien) isn't indicated for long-term use, but there are some doctors who ignore this and prescribe long-term. It's rare, though.
I think some people are drawing narrow conclusions from the use of Zolpidem in this study. They're not saying Zolpidem uniquely causes this problem, they're just showing that Zolpidem was one way to trigger this. It's like a property of many sedative hypnotics and quite possibly other types of sleep aids, too. Demonizing Zolpidem isn't the point of this study.
Long term use of drugs that interact with the GABA-A receptor have been known to be associated with dementia risk for a very long time.
Zolpidem (Ambien) isn't indicated for long-term use, but there are some doctors who ignore this and prescribe long-term. It's rare, though.
I think some people are drawing narrow conclusions from the use of Zolpidem in this study. They're not saying Zolpidem uniquely causes this problem, they're just showing that Zolpidem was one way to trigger this. It's like a property of many sedative hypnotics and quite possibly other types of sleep aids, too. Demonizing Zolpidem isn't the point of this study.