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\f0\fs24 \cf0 >> Joanne: TAKING SLEEP PILLS ON\
A REGULAR BASIS IS ASSOCIATED\ WITH A INCREASE RISK OF DEATH\
AND CANCER.\ THAT'S ACCORDING TO A STEADY\
PUBLISHED ON BMJ OPEN.\ SOME OF THE FINDINGS ARE\
ALARMING.\ LET'S TAKE A LOOK.\
PATIENTS USING HIP KNOTTICS OR\ IN OTHER WORDS SLEEPING PILLS\
HAD A INCREASE RISK OF DEATH.\ FEWER THAN 18 INCREASED\
MORTALITY.\ CANCER INCREASES BY 35% OF THOSE\
PRESCRIBED HIGH DOSES.\ HERE TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THE\
FINDINGS IS SCRIPTS RESEARCHER\ DR.
DANIEL.\ >> Joanne: HOW DID YOU FIND THIS\
RESEARCH?\ >> WITH ELECTRONIC CAL RECORDS\
IN A BIG SYSTEM IN NORTHEASTERN\ \page U.S.\
WE FOUND IN A 5 YEAR PERIOD OVER\ TEN THOUSAND PATIENTS PRESCRIBED\
SLEEPING PILLS.\ THEN WE MATCHED THEM WITH OVER\
20,000 CONTROLS WHO HAD NEVER\ BEEN PRESCRIBED A SLEEPING PILL.\
WE MATCHED THEM FOR AGE AND FOR\ THEIR SEX AND WHETHER OR NOT\
THEY SMOKED.\ THEN STATISTICALLY WE MATCHED\
THEM FOR HEALTH, FOR 12\ DIFFERENT KINDS OF DIAGNOSISES.\
SO, IT'S WHAT WE CALL A MATCHED\ COHORT STUDY.\
>> Joanne: SO, FOR PEOPLE WHO\ MAY SAY THOSE TAKING SLEEPING\
PILLS MAYBE THEY WERE IN POOR\ HEALTH TO BEGIN WITH.\
YOUR STUDY ACCOUNTED FOR THAT.\ >> IT'S TRUE THOSE TAKING\
SLEEPING PILLS WERE IN SOMEWHAT\ POORER HEALTH THAN THOSE NOT\
GETTING THE PRESCRIPTIONS, BUT\ NOT FOUR TIMES WORST.\
WE DID CONTROL FOR THAT\ STATISTICALLY TO THE EXTENT WE\
WERE ABLE.\ LET ME SAY THE CONTROL MADE VERY\
LITTLE DIFFERENCE.\ SO EVEN THOUGH THE CONTROL IS\
IMPERFECT IF THE AMOUNT OF\ CONTROL WE DID MADE SO LITTLE\
DIFFERENCE I THINK MORE CONTROL\ WOULDN'T MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE.\
>> Joanne: NOW THE DRUGS YOU\ LOOKED AT I WANT TO SAY ARE\
FAIRLY COMMON.\ WE KNOW THE NAMES.\
AMBIENT EVEN BENDRIL WAS ON THE\ LIST.\
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE DRUGS S\ THERE A COMMON THING INCREASING\
YOUR RISK?\ >> WE STUDIES THESE.\
THEY WERE COMMONLY USED IN THIS\ HEALTH SYSTEM.\
AND I DIDN'T NECESSARILY EXPECT\ BENDRIL OR AMBIENT TO SHOW A\
RISK.\ \page I WAS SHOCKED, I'M STILL SHOCKED\
AT THE SIZE OF THE RISK.\ >> Joanne: I WANT TO SPLIT THIS\
INTO TWO CATEGORIES.\ THERE IS A INCREASE RISK OF\
DEATH.\ WAS YOUR STUDY ABLE TO DETERMINE\
THE CAUSE OF DEATH.\ MONTHS PASSED KPBS REPORTED ONE\
OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF\ ACCIDENTAL DEATH IS OVERDOSING\
WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.\ HOW DO WE KNOW THIS ISN'T FROM\
SLEEPING PILLS AND DRINKING AND\ SOMETHING ELSE.\
>> THEY ARE.\ THAT'S ONE OF THE CAUSES.\
WE KNOW THEY TEND TO FIND A LOT\ OF SLEEPING PILLS IN THE PEOPLE\
WHO HAVE HAD AUTOMOBILE\ ACCIDENTS.\
PEOPLE WHO HAVE FALLS.\ PEOPLE WHO DIE AT NIGHT.\
SO, THESE ARE PROBABLY SOME OF\ THE CAUSES.\
>> Joanne: IT'S NOT NECESSARILY\ WHAT'S IN THE SLEEPING PILL THAT\
CAUSES TO YOU DIE BUT IT PUTS\ NEW A CERTAIN STATE OF MIND.\
>> THE SLEEPING PILLS STOP OUR\ BRAIN CELLS FROM WORKING.\
THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR YOU.\ IN THE HIGHEST DOSES BARBITUETES\
ARE USED TO EXECUTE PRISONERS\ BECAUSE THEY STOP BREATHING.\
MIXED WITH ALCOHOL OR ANY THINGS\ THEY CAN STOP BREATH OR MAKE\
SLEEP APNEA WORST.\ THAT'S ONE OF THE MECHANISMS NOT\
THE ONLY ONE.\ THEY CAUSE DEPRESSION.\
PEOPLE TAKING SLEEPING PILLS\ HAVE A HIGH SUICIDE RATE.\
THEY CAUSE INFECTIONS AND THEY\ CAUSE CANCER.\
>> Joanne: WE DON'T HAVE A LOT\ OF TIME LEFT.\
YOU TOLD ME EARLIER BACK IN THE\ 70S IS WHEN YOU FIRST DISCOVERED\
SLEEPING PILLS WERE NOT VERY\ \page GOOD FOR YOU.\
SOME PEOPLE MIGHT ARGUE THIS IS\ A LONG TIME SUBMISSION TO FIND,\
FOR YOU, TO COME TO THIS\ CONCLUSION.\
>> WELL WE SAW EVIDENCE EARLIER.\ THIS IS THE STRONGEST EVIDENCE.\
THIS IS THE FIRST EVIDENCE TO\ NAME THE PARTICULAR PILLS.\
BUT THERE ARE 18 DIFFERENT\ STUDIES DONE MAINLY BY OTHER\
PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES THAT\ SHOW THE SAME ASSOCIATION OF\
SLEEPING PILLS WITH MORTALITY.\ IT'S NOT JUST MY STUDY.\
THE ONLY THING ABOUT THIS STUDY\ THAT IS SPECIAL IS IT NAMES THE\
PILLS.\ SHOWS THE DOSE RESPONSE, AND IT\
WAS BETTER CONTROLLED FOR\ CONFUSING FACTORS THAN THE OTHER\
STUDIES.\ >> Joanne: I WANT TO TELL PEOPLE\
AT HOME.\ WE HAVE THE LIST OF THE DRUGS.\
MORE ON THIS STUDY, MORE\ INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE\
KPBS.ORG.\ DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING\
HERE.\ >> THANK YOU.\
}