Hypnotic Sleep Aids Associated with Increased Mortality

Use of hypnotic sleeping pills is associated with a 3 to 5-fold increase in mortality risk, even in very small doses, a new study found. 

A hazard ratio of 3.60 was associated with prescriptions ranging from 0.4 to 18 doses per year compared to those not taking hypnotics.  The hazard increased to 5.32 in patients taking more than 132 doses per year. 

"Rough order-of-magnitude estimates ... suggest that in 2010, hypnotics may have been associated with 320,000 to 507,000 excess deaths in the U.S. alone," Daniel F. Kripke, MD, of the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., and co-authors wrote.

Researchers matched data collected from 10,531 adults taking at least one prescription of hypnotic drugs from 2002 to 2006 with 23,674 patients who were not exposed to hypnotic drugs.  Of the 10,531, sleep-related indication was shown in the records of 75%.

Overall, 6.1% of the hypnotic users died during the study, compared with 1.2% of those not using the drugs.  Those taking more than 18 pills a year also showed and increased cancer risk. 

"Against meager benefits, it is prudent to weigh the evidence of mortality risks from the current study and 24 previous reports, in order to reconsider whether even short-term use of hypnotics, as given qualified approval in National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance, is sufficiently safe," researchers concluded.