Sedative-hypnotic drug use and ageing.

Behavioural disadvantages associated with the use of sedative-hypnotic drugs in the elderly are considered in relation to four aspects of drug usage reported in the epidemiological literature between 1960 and 1982, viz. (1) the prevalence of drug usage; (2) the type of drug, and the dose used; (3) the typical duration of usage; and (4) the typical frequency of usage. Demographic characteristics of elderly hypnotic users are also examined. The pattern and prevalence of usage over the past 20 yr show many consistent features. In particular, the prevalence of drug usage among the elderly has remained relatively high, especially within institutional settings. Sex differences in the prevalence of sleeping drug usage, frequently reported for elderly populations, appear to be related to bereavement, health status, and age. The advanced age of hypnotic drug users, however, does not appear to influence the choice of hypnotic drug prescribed. Moreover, drugs and dosages typically prescribed, and the duration and frequency of use typically reported, do not reflect a consistent approach to the problem of minimizing some of the adverse behavioural consequences associated with sedative-hypnotic drug use in the elderly.