Higher-dose uses of zolpidem will increase the subsequent risk of developing benign brain tumors.

This study identified 37,810 patients with anxiety or sleep disorder (mean age=53.2 years, SD=16.0 years) who had zolpidem prescribed for at least 2 months from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2009. Another non-zolpidem cohort was selected by 1:1 matching with the zolpidem cohort on the estimated probability (propensity score) of being treated. The zolpidem cohort had a higher incidence of benign brain tumors compared with the non-zolpidem cohort, particularly for elderly patients. The matched propensity score analysis showed that the highest risk of benign brain tumors occurred in participants with zolpidem exposure ≥520 mg/year (hazard ratio=1.85, 95% confidence interval=1.21-2.82) compared with those not taking zolpidem.