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Review of Safety and Efficacy of Sleep Medicines in Older Adults
Schroeck JL, Ford J, Conway EL, Kurtzhalts KE, Gee ME, Vollmer KA, Mergenhagen KA.. Clinical therapeutics, 2016-10-15
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Although non-BzRAs have improved safety profiles compared with benzodiazepines, their side effects include dementia, serious injury, and fractures, which should limit their use. Implications An ideal treatment for insomnia should help to improve sleep latency and sleep duration with limited awakenings and be without significant adverse effects such as daytime somnolence or decreased alertness. Clinical inertia regarding previous prominent use of benzodiazepines and non-BzRAs will be a significant challenge for patients accustomed to their issuance.
Key findings
- Although non-BzRAs have improved safety profiles compared with benzodiazepines, their side effects include dementia, serious injury, and fractures, which should limit their use.
- Implications An ideal treatment for insomnia should help to improve sleep latency and sleep duration with limited awakenings and be without significant adverse effects such as daytime somnolence or decreased alertness.
- Clinical inertia regarding previous prominent use of benzodiazepines and non-BzRAs will be a significant challenge for patients accustomed to their issuance.
Why it matters
This review states that non-benzodiazepine sleep medicines have side effects including dementia, serious injury, and fractures, which should limit their use. It does not test any treatment for Alzheimer's disease itself.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Clinical therapeutics) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Clinical Therapeutics: journal h-index 173 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 374 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 31.2 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 42.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 114 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Kari A. Mergenhagen: h-index 24 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | VA Western New York Healthcare System: institution h-index 171 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 27751669) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Schroeck, J. L., Ford, J., Conway, E. L., Kurtzhalts, K. E., Gee, M. E., Vollmer, K. A., et al. (2016). Review of Safety and Efficacy of Sleep Medicines in Older Adults. Clinical therapeutics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2016.09.010
Vancouver
Schroeck JL, Ford J, Conway EL, Kurtzhalts KE, Gee ME, Vollmer KA, et al. Review of Safety and Efficacy of Sleep Medicines in Older Adults. Clinical therapeutics. 2016. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2016.09.010. PMID: 27751669.
BibTeX
@article{schroeck2016-27751669,
author = {Schroeck, J. L. and Ford, J. and Conway, E. L. and Kurtzhalts, K. E. and Gee, M. E. and Vollmer, K. A. and Mergenhagen, K. A.},
title = {{Review of Safety and Efficacy of Sleep Medicines in Older Adults}},
journal = {Clinical therapeutics},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1016/j.clinthera.2016.09.010},
pmid = {27751669},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2016.09.010}
}
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