Opioid use may increase the death risk in dementia patients, especially in the first two weeks after starting a drug.
According to a news release from the Alzheimer’s Association, researchers discovered that among all individuals 65 and older who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in Denmark and who used an opioid over a 10-year period, a third of them passed away within 180 days of beginning the prescription.
Opioids After Dementia Diagnosis Raises Death Risk
In comparison to those who did not use opioids, the fatality risk was around five times greater, but within the first two weeks it was eleven times more.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the risk was significantly higher for individuals who used fentanyl patches, with nearly two-thirds of those patients passing away within 180 days.
Strong opioids, such as morphine, oxycodone, ketobemidone, hydromorphone, pethidine, buprenorphine, and fentanyl, significantly increased the chance of death compared to dementia patients who did not take the drugs.
We found that starting an opioid after receiving a dementia diagnosis was common and was related with a much higher risk of death, which is concerning, according to a press release from Dr. Christina Jensen-Dahm of the Neurology Department at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.
Over the past ten years, elderly adults with dementia have used heavy opioids far more frequently, she said.
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Ensuring Pain Relief For Dementia Patients
Our study emphasizes the value of carefully weighing the risks and patient benefits when deciding whether to start opioid medication for older people with dementia.
Experts advised against providing opioids to dementia patients due to the increased mortality risk, but they also stressed the need for safe pain management in this vulnerable group.
Pain should not be left undetected or untreated, especially in dementia patients who may struggle to express where and how bad the pain is.
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