Antianxiety drugs and central nervous system symptoms in an ambulatory elderly population.

Antianxiety agents' effects on the reported frequency of fainting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and bone fractures were studied in a large ambulatory elderly population. The frequency of these symptoms in participants using seven different antianxiety drugs and that of a control group were compared. Dizziness and episodes of loss of consciousness and falls were reported more frequently in women using these drugs compared with controls (p less than 0.04 and p less than 0.01, respectively). There was an increase in reported bone fractures (12.1 percent to 9.4 percent) in women using antianxiety agents when compared with controls. All central nervous system symptoms were reported more frequently in participants using these drugs when compared with controls. This study suggests that chronic use of antianxiety agents in elderly patients may result in disabling central nervous system side effects.