Researchers from the University of Hong Kong have discovered that the use of calming and sleeping medications increases the risk of bone fractures. The journal Sleep Medicine Reviews notes that "researchers studied 20 descriptive (observational) studies conducted by scientists from 11 countries around the world, involving six million people." The scientists isolated the health information of the participants in these studies and their use of various medications.
The results of the meta-analysis (effect size analysis) of the scientific studies indicated that "participants who take sedative sleeping medications have an increased risk of bone fractures compared to those who do not take them." The researchers found that "the consumption of these medications increases the risk of hip fractures by 32 percent and the risk of fractures in other bones of the body increases by 41 percent. These percentages remain the same whether the medications are taken for short or long periods."
The researchers pointed out that these findings may be particularly beneficial for the elderly, as "bone density and strength decrease with age, a condition known as osteoporosis, and the use of sedative and sleeping medications exacerbates osteoporosis. Therefore, they should take them only after consulting a doctor."
