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Oldest adults most likely to use prescription sleep aids


 

Use of sedative and hypnotic medications increased with age among U.S. adults in 2005-2010, with 7% of those aged 80 years and older reporting use in the past 30 days, the National Center for Health Statistics said in a report released Aug. 29.

Overall 30-day use among all adults aged 20 years and older was 4.1% in that time period, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Among those aged 20-39, only 1.8% used prescription sleep aids, compared with 4.9% for those aged 40-49, 6.0% for those 50-59 years old, 5.5% for 60- to 69-year-olds, and 5.7% for those aged 70-79 years.

The sleep aids covered in the report include all hypnotic drugs and four antidepressant or sedative medications commonly prescribed for insomnia or depression: amitriptyline, doxepin, mirtazapine, and trazodone.

rfranki@frontlinemedcom.com

*Correction 9/13/13: An earlier version of this table contained an incorrect column label.

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