Prevalencia y características del consumo de benzodiacepinas en una comunidad rural

Abstract

Background and aim. Little is known about the consumption of benzodiazepines and hypnotics in Galicia. We studied the prevalence of consumption of these drugs on a regular basis in community-living people. Patients and methods. An age-stratified random sample of 1516 subjects was drawn from the population older than 18 years of A-Estrada (Galicia, Spain). Mean age was 52 years (range 18–92 years), 45% males, 75% of cases from a rural environment) participated in this study. Data from the AEGIS Study were used. Goldberg Anxiety/Depression scale and The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) were used. Results. The prevalence of use of benzodiazepines was 15.6% (19.8% women, 10.4% men), and seems to increase with increasing age (24.4% in people older than 70). The prevalence of use of other hypnotic-sedative and central nervous system depressant drugs was 10% (13.6% women and 5.5% men) also increasing with increasing age (15.1% in people older than 70 years). Among benzodiazepine users, 63.6% had no symptoms of anxiety and 53% had no symptoms of depression. Among drinkers at high risk of alcoholism, 7.6% used benzodiazepines and 3.9% hypnotic-sedatives or central nervous system depressant drugs. Conclusions. The prevalence of the use of benzodiazepines was high in a Galician population of adults who reported an increasing use with increasing age and is associated with female gender. Strategies should be developed to reduce or prevent alcohol consumption among adults who use benzodiazepines. Do not prescribe benzodiazepines if they have no indication. If prescribed, do so with an end date. Keywords: Benzodiazepines, hypnotics and sedatives, polypharmacy. FUENTE DE FINANCIAMIENTO: Acción estratégica en salud. Instituto de Salud Carlos III, (PI11/02219) Estudio comunicado parcialmente, en formato Póster en 37º Congreso de la Semfyc de Madrid 2017.