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Sleep Aids Linked to Broken Hips

Sleeping pills should be prescribed only with caution to older people. A case-crossover study of more than 15,000 nursing home residents in the US found that those taking “Z-drugs” as sleep aids were 66% more likely to suffer a broken hip during the 18 months of the study.

Z-drugs are the popular sleeping pills zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta) and zaleplon (Sonata). Older people with cognitive impairment were especially vulnerable to this complication. The investigators recommend greater caution in prescribing sleep medications to nursing home residents.

[JAMA Internal Medicine, online, March 4, 2013]

You will find information on the pros and cons of these and other sleep aids in our Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. Non-drug approaches to defeating insomnia are also discussed.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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