Benzodiazepine Use and Hip Fractures in the Elderly

Abstract
With 71 million prescriptions dispensed in 2002, and an annual growth rate of 3%, benzodiazepines are currently the 13th leading therapeutic class of medications in the United States,1 despite well-publicized concerns about their adverse effects, which include an increased risk of hip fracture among the elderly. Because hip fractures frequently lead to disability and death among the elderly,2-5 this concern has prompted recent interventions to decrease benzodiazepine use in elderly patients.6,7