Sleeping pills ‘could raise death risk fourfold’

Sleeping pills prescribed in their millions in the UK could increase the risk of dying more than four-fold, new research claims today.

The study of 10,000 people taking the drugs found the higher the dose, the greater the risk of death, while people on higher doses also had an increased risk of cancer. But even those taking the lowest doses between four and 18 pills a year had a 3.6-fold higher risk of dying compared with non-users.

The study authors, from California, say the results should be weighed up to consider whether even short-term use of the medication was safe, claiming as many as 500,000 excess deaths could be associated with the drugs in the United States in 2010.

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Latest figures reveal 2.6 million prescriptions for insomnia were issued alone in the three months to September 2010 in England, an increase of five per cent on 2005.

Nina Barnett, of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “This is an important study and, although it is unlikely to radically change prescribing in the immediate term, it should raise awareness and remind both patients and prescribers to the potential risks of sedative use for insomnia.”

The research showed people taking the drugs were more likely to die than those who did not but this did not mean deaths were caused by the drugs. She added: “Patients should not stop taking any prescribed medicines straight away. If you are concerned about your medicines, discuss this with your pharmacist or doctor about other ways of getting help with sleep problems.”