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Economic Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Economic Times
Anxiety, depression and sleep medicines linked to higher risk of neurological disease
A new study links common mental health drugs to a higher ALS risk. The research focused on anxiolytics, hypnotics, and antidepressants. It found a possible connection, not a direct cause. Experts suggest early ALS symptoms might be the real reason. Doctors advise patients to consult before stopping medication. More research is necessary to confirm the findings. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Commonly prescribed medicines for anxiety, depression and sleep disorders may pose a heightened risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS ), a progressive and fatal neurological disorder, according to a new study recently published in JAMA study researched the use of anxiolytics (used to relieve anxiety), hypnotics and sedatives (used to aid sleep or calm the body), and antidepressants (which work by altering brain chemistry to improve mood) and found that individuals who were prescribed such medications were more likely to be diagnosed with ALS in the later stages of study further found that people who used these medication before being diagnosed with ALS had a poorer prognosis, which means that their disease progressed quickly and survival rate is minimal. However, experts caution that this finding is based on association, not causation."These medications are often prescribed for symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, or depression, which may appear during the early (prodromal) phase of ALS - well before a formal diagnosis," explained Dr M S Panduranga, senior consultant (neurology), Dharamshila Narayana Super-specialty Hospital."So, the link may reflect early, subtle neurological changes rather than the harmful effect of the drugs themselves," the doctor study, which was conducted in Sweden, analysed nationwide data from over 1,000 ALS patients and more than 5,000 healthy individuals using the Swedish Motor Neuron Disease Quality Registry. The average age of participants was 67.5 years, and just over half (53.1%) were Manjari Tripathi, professor and head of neurology at AIIMS, told TOI that such neuropsychiatric medications act on the brain's inhibitory pathways, which could interfere with motor neuron activity."There could also be a toxic effect, especially with long-term, consistent use - not just occasional doses," she said."Motor neuron disease leads to slow but steady progression of muscle weakness. Patients begin to struggle with everyday tasks - buttoning a shirt, combing their hair, walking. Eventually, they become wheelchair bound. Swallowing and speech become difficult, and muscles visibly shrink," she said, adding that one type of ALS was the same condition renowned physicist Stephen Hawking lived with for the exact timeline between the medication and the onset of ALS remains unfound. Dr Madhukar Bhardwaj, director and head of neurology, Aakash Healthcare, said that a longer history of psychiatric symptoms and prolonged medication use appears to be associated with increased ALS risk."In some observational studies, individuals using anxiety or depression medications for more than 10 years showed a stronger link with ALS, especially in younger patients. It's not yet certain whether this reflects a true biological risk or simply earlier diagnosis due to more medical attention," he said."While there's no definitive proof that these medications cause ALS, we need to be cautious, especially when prescribing them to individuals with signs of neurological disease," Dr Anshu Rohatgi, vice-chairperson (neurology), Sir Ganga Ram Hospital told doctors say patients must not stop medications on their own and should speak with their healthcare providers if they have concerns.(With TOI inputs)
Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Anxiety, depression and sleep meds may increase risk of rare neuro disease
NEW DELHI: Commonly prescribed medications for anxiety, depression and sleep disorders may be associated with a higher risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive and fatal neurological disorder, according to a new study recently published in JAMA Neurology. The study examined the use of anxiolytics (used to relieve anxiety), hypnotics and sedatives (used to aid sleep or calm the body), and antidepressants (which work by altering brain chemistry to improve mood). Researchers found that individuals who were prescribed these medications were more likely to be diagnosed with ALS later in life compared to those who did not take them. Significantly, the study also found that people who used these medications before being diagnosed with ALS had a poorer prognosis, meaning their disease progressed more quickly and survival was shorter. However, experts caution that this finding is based on association, not causation. "These medications are often prescribed for symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, or depression, which may appear during the early (prodromal) phase of ALS - well before a formal diagnosis," explained Dr M S Panduranga, senior consultant (neurology), Dharamshila Narayana Superspecialty Hospital. "So, the link may reflect early, subtle neurological changes rather than the harmful effect of the drugs themselves." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The study, conducted in Sweden, analysed nationwide data from over 1,000 ALS patients and more than 5,000 healthy individuals using the Swedish Motor Neuron Disease Quality Registry. The average age of participants was 67.5 years, and just over half (53.1%) were male. Dr Manjari Tripathi, professor and head of neurology at AIIMS, explained that most neuropsychiatric medications act on the brain's inhibitory pathways, which could interfere with motor neuron activity. "There could also be a toxic effect, especially with long-term, consistent use - not just occasional doses," she said. "Motor neuron disease leads to slow but steady progression of muscle weakness," she added. "Patients begin to struggle with everyday tasks - buttoning a shirt, combing their hair, walking. Eventually, they become wheelchair bound. Swallowing and speech become difficult, and muscles visibly shrink." One type of ALS, she noted, was the same condition renowned physicist Stephen Hawking lived with for decades. While the exact timeline between medication use and ALS onset remains unclear, Dr Madhukar Bhardwaj, director and head of neurology, Aakash Healthcare, said that a longer history of psychiatric symptoms and prolonged medication use appears to be associated with increased ALS risk. "In some observational studies, individuals using anxiety or depression medications for more than 10 years showed a stronger link with ALS, especially in younger patients," he said. "It's not yet certain whether this reflects a true biological risk or simply earlier diagnosis due to more medical attention." "While there's no definitive proof that these medications cause ALS, we need to be cautious, especially when prescribing them to individuals with signs of neurological disease," said Dr Anshu Rohatgi, vice-chairperson (neurology), Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Doctors emphasise that patients should not stop their medications on their own. Instead, they should speak with their healthcare providers if they have concerns.
Medscape
19-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Common Psychiatric Meds Tied to Increased ALS Risk
Prescribed use of anxiolytics, hypnotics and sedatives, or antidepressants was associated with a significantly increased risk for future development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a worse prognosis after diagnosis compared to nonuse, a large case-control study showed. METHODOLOGY: This nested case-control study included data from the Swedish Motor Neuron Disease Quality Registry for more than 1000 patients with ALS (mean age at index date, 67.5 years; 53% men) diagnosed between 2015 and 2023. The patients were matched for age and sex with more than 5000 population control individuals. Researchers examined the prescribed use, defined as having at least two prescriptions of psychiatric medications prior to ALS diagnosis, including anxiolytics, hypnotics and sedatives, and antidepressants. Disease progression rate was calculated at diagnosis, and functional decline was calculated at diagnosis and over a median follow-up duration of 1.3 years using ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) scores. Covariates included age, sex, socioeconomic status, country of birth, and educational level. TAKEAWAY: After adjusting for covariates, the prescribed use of psychiatric medications overall was significantly associated with increased risk for ALS across all time windows before diagnosis. Odds ratios (ORs) for ALS among individuals prescribed hypnotics and sedatives 0-1 years before diagnosis, those prescribed anxiolytics 1-5 years before diagnosis, and those prescribed antidepressants more than 5 years before diagnosis were 6.1, 1.6, and 1.2, respectively. After excluding the year before ALS diagnosis, use of antidepressants (OR, 1.3), anxiolytics (OR, 1.3), or hypnotics and sedatives (OR, 1.2) was still linked to increased ALS risk. Compared with nonuse, use of anxiolytics (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.5) or antidepressants (HR, 1.72) before ALS diagnosis was associated with shorter survival in patients with ALS. After multiple adjustments, patients with ALS who used antidepressants before diagnosis had significantly lower ALSFRS-R scores at diagnosis and a faster rate of functional decline (β = -2.5). IN PRACTICE: 'These findings suggest a potential link between psychiatric medications, or their indications (ie, psychiatric disorders), and the risk and progression of ALS,' the investigators wrote. Still, Ammar Al-Chalabi, PhD, professor of neurology and complex disease genetics, King's College London, London, England, said in a statement from the Science Media Centre that the associated effect on disease risk was small 'except in the year immediately before diagnosis,' when there are already symptoms of motor neuron disease. 'At most it represents a 25% increase in relative risk, which for a condition with a 1 in 300 lifetime risk, is not a big change,' added Al-Chalabi, who was not involved with the research. SOURCE: This study was led by Charilaos Chourpiliadis, MD, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. It was published online on June 04 in JAMA Network Open . LIMITATIONS: Psychiatric medications were prescribed for overlapping conditions, limiting indication specificity. Exposure misclassification was possible because of the lack of data on continuous use after the first prescription, and potential risks for overmatching in relative comparisons and residual confounding existed. Additionally, genetic data, including the statusof the C9orf72 variant, were incomplete and may have affected the findings' generalizability. The analyses of ALS progression may have also lacked generalizability because they were restricted to regions with complete clinical data. DISCLOSURES: The study was funded by the European Research Council Starting Grant, CDC, and Swedish Research Council. Two of the seven investigators reported having consulting and other roles with or receiving grant support from various pharmaceutical companies and research organizations outside the submitted work. Full details are provided in the original article.
