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If you have ever taken Valium, Xanax, or some other benzodiazepine to calm your nerves or sleep better, you may have felt woozy or hungover the next day. Experts have long assumed that people鈥檚 heads would clear once they stopped taking the drug. That may not be the case. A study published by the journal BMJ suggests that .

A team of researchers from France and Canada linked benzodiazepine use to an increased risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. In the study, the greater a person鈥檚 cumulative dose of benzodiazepines, the higher his or her risk of Alzheimer鈥檚.

The association isn鈥檛 surprising given past research on the subject, but it still should be viewed with caution. 鈥淏enzodiazepines are risky to use in older people because they can cause confusion and slow down mental processes, 鈥� says Dr. Anne Fabiny, chief of geriatrics at Harvard-affiliated Cambridge Health Alliance. 鈥淗owever, although there is an association, we still can鈥檛 say that benzodiazepines actually cause Alzheimer鈥檚,鈥� she cautions.

Dose, duration, and type of drug matter

The researchers relied on a database maintained by the Quebec health insurance program. From it, they identified nearly 2,000 men and women over age 66 who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. They randomly selected more than 7,000 others without Alzheimer鈥檚 who were matched for age and sex to those with the disease. Once the groups were set, the researchers looked at the drug prescriptions during the five to six years preceding the Alzheimer鈥檚 diagnosis.

People who had taken a benzodiazepine for three months or less had about the same dementia risk as those who had never taken one. Taking the drug for three to six months raised the risk of developing Alzheimer鈥檚 by 32%, and taking it for more than six months boosted the risk by 84%.

The type of drug taken also mattered. People who were on a long-acting benzodiazepine like diazepam (Valium) and flurazepam (Dalmane) were at greater risk than those on a short-acting one like triazolam (Halcion), lorazepam (Ativan), alprazolam (Xanax), and temazepam (Restoril).

The researchers acknowledge that the use of benzodiazepines could be just a signal that people are trying to cope with anxiety and sleep disruption鈥攖wo common symptoms of early Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. If that鈥檚 true, their use of a benzodiazepine may not be a factor in causing dementia but an indication it is already in progress.

Other reasons to avoid benzodiazepines

Even if that鈥檚 so, there are other reasons for older people to avoid benzodiazepines. In 2012, the American Geriatrics Society for treating insomnia, agitation, or delirium. That decision was made primarily because common side-effects of benzodiazepines鈥攃onfusion and clouded thinking鈥攐ften have disastrous consequences, including falls, fractures, and auto accidents.

Even short-acting benzodiazepines pack a bigger punch in older people. As the body鈥檚 metabolism slows with age, drugs take longer to clear. And because benzodiazepines are stored in body fat, they can continue to produce effects days after people stop taking them.

Although these medications are taken to help people get a good night鈥檚 rest, they can have the opposite effect. 鈥淲hen they鈥檙e taken over time, they can actually interfere with normal sleep,鈥� says Dr. Fabiny. The quest to sleep through the night can lead to prescriptions for higher doses or longer-lasting benzodiazepines鈥攁nd even greater side effects.

If you are a caregiver for an older person, you may want to check the medicine cabinet. If you find benzodiazepine, you might want to discuss it with him or her, or with a doctor.

If you take a benzodiazepine, keep in mind that these drugs are designed for short-term use. If you鈥檝e been using them regularly for more than a few weeks, know that withdrawal symptoms can be powerful. Consider talking to your doctor about alternatives.

There鈥檚 currently no cure or treatment for Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. That makes prevention all the more important. Limiting the use of a benzodiazepine for anxiety or sleep troubles may be one small step toward prevention.