Association between regular hypnotic use and age-related macular degeneration.
Prolonged use of non-benzodiazepine sleep drugs is linked to higher age-related macular degeneration risk
Association between regular hypnotic use and age-related macular degeneration.
Previous studies have confirmed the presence of benzodiazepine receptors in the retina, and exploratory research has suggested that the use of hypnotics may be linked to changes in retinal function and an increased risk of maculopathy.
In this study, we aimed to investigate this association in the UK Biobank.
Sensitivity analyses were performed using traditional Cox proportional hazards regression on the original cohort, with additional subgroup analyses stratified by age group and sex.
more than double the risk of developing this eye disease with long-term use
Following the propensity score matchings procedure, 1899 benzodiazepine users and 7557 non-users were selected from the benzodiazepines cohort, and 321 Z-meds users and 1284 non-users were selected from the Z-meds cohort.
A total of 262 participants in the benzodiazepines cohort developed incident AMD during follow-up after propensity score matchings, compared with 49 participants in the Z-meds cohort.
Sensitivity analyses demonstrated consistent associations.
Subgroup analyses also indicated consistent associations across various categories.
Prolonged use of Z-meds may elevate the risk of developing AMD.
Given the increasing prescription of Z-meds for the treatment of insomnia, these findings underscore the necessity of considering potential ocular risks and requiring more frequent monitoring.