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. 2020 May 26;15(6):794–804. doi: 10.2215/CJN.13341019

Table 4.

Association between benzodiazepines and mortality in patients initiating hemodialysis (n=69,368) between 2013 and 2014 stratified by age, sex, race, and opioid codispensing

Exposure No. of Deaths Follow-Up Time, person-yr Unadjusted aHR (95% CI) Adjusted aHR (95% CI) P Value for Interaction
Any benzodiazepine 0.001
 No opioid/no benzodiazepine 2556 182,800 Reference Reference
 No opioid/benzodiazepine 485 41,273 1.32 (1.20 to 1.44) 1.22 (1.13 to 1.32)
 Opioid/no benzodiazepine 2071 141,526 Reference Reference
 Opioid/benzodiazepine 190 8105 2.35 (2.04 to 2.71) 1.66 (1.46 to 1.90)
Short-acting benzodiazepine <0.001
 No opioid/no benzodiazepine 2514 174,636 Reference Reference
 No opioid/benzodiazepine 420 31,186 1.50 (1.36 to 1.65) 1.34 (1.23 to 1.45)
 Opioid/no benzodiazepine 2094 143,450 Reference Reference
 Opioid/benzodiazepine 167 6181 2.74 (2.35 to 3.19) 1.90 (1.65 to 2.18)
Long-acting benzodiazepine 0.72
 No opioid/no benzodiazepine 2305 157,870 Reference Reference
 No opioid/benzodiazepine 67 10,280 0.74 (0.58 to 0.94) 0.83 (0.69 to 1.00)
 Opioid/no benzodiazepine 2238 147,590 Reference Reference
 Opioid/benzodiazepine 23 2041 1.11 (0.74 to 1.67) 0.89 (0.64 to 1.24)

Use of benzodiazepines and other medications was treated as time varying, and all models were adjusted. The results below are from three separate models; all models were adjusted for age, sex, race, prescription (antidepressants and CNS depressants), and comorbidities. CNS depressants included sedatives, muscle relaxants, and antipsychotics. Comorbidities included diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, COPD, smoking history, cancer, drug abuse, inability to ambulate, institutionalized, and obesity.