Anxiety and Sleep Medications May Increase ALS Risk Up to 34 Percent

A new study’s findings point to a need for careful consideration when prescribing psychiatric medications.

fizkes/Shutterstock

People taking common anxiety medications and sleep aids may be significantly more likely to develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a major new Swedish study, which also found that some psychiatric drugs increased the risk by more than one-third.

While the findings don’t prove that these widely prescribed medications directly cause ALS, an incurable muscle-wasting condition that gradually erodes patients’ ability to move, talk, or eat, they raise questions about long-term monitoring for the millions of people who rely on psychiatric drugs worldwide, according to the authors.

Key Findings

The research, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed nationwide health data and found that patients prescribed anxiety medications faced a 34 percent increased risk of developing motor neuron disease, while antidepressants raised risk by 26 percent and sedatives by 21 percent.