´óÏóAPP

In 2021–22, 4.0 percent of adults aged 65 and older used benzodiazepines, a type of medication often prescribed for anxiety or sleep problems, without opioids, while 1.5 percent used both medications at the same time. Concurrent use of these medications is identified by clinical guidelines as a potentially serious health risk for older adults. 

The analysis is contained in a new ´óÏóAPPMedical Expenditure Panel Survey statistical brief, Benzodiazepine Use Among Older Adults: Any Use and Concurrent Use With Opioids, which highlights differences across subgroups. Older women were more likely than men to use benzodiazepines alone, 5.1 percent compared with 2.7 percent, and with opioids, 2.0 percent compared with 0.9 percent. Seniors in the Northeast were more likely to use benzodiazepines only, 5.8 percent, than those in the South, Midwest, or West. Older adults reporting fair or poor health also had higher use of benzodiazepines alone, 5.1 percent, and in combination with opioids, 3.7 percent, compared with those in better health. 

for additional insights on use by insurance, chronic conditions, and other factors.