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4 B SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017 TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH Can Anxiety Meds Cause Alzheimer’s? DEAR DR. ROACH: I read re- cently that if Valium is taken by older folks for more than 90 days, it ups their risk for Alzheimer’s dis- ease by 32 percent and if taken for more than 180 days, the risk goes up 84 percent. Have you heard anything like this? What is safe for seniors, or anyone, to take for anxiety? -- C.P. ANSWER: A study published recently ago in BMJ, a prestigious medical journal, showed a clear as- sociation between benzodiazepines -- a class of medications that includes diazepam (Valium), clonazepam (Klonopin), alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan), among many others -- and Alzheimer’s disease. The association was stronger for long-term use than for short, as you correctly point out. Further, the risk was higher for long-acting drugs (like Valium or Librium) than for short (like Xanax). However, the type of study done cannot claim that taking the medica- SALOME’S STARS ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You might not like the sudden setback in your plans. But keep that headstrong Arian temperament in check and wait for explanations. Th ings will begin to clear up by week’s end. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) En- joy the respite from your recent hectic schedule, but be ready to plunge into a new round of social activities. A new contact holds much potential for the future. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A trusted colleague has news that could change your perception of a cur- rent workplace situation. What had seemed unfair might prove to be highly favorable aft er all. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You still need to watch what you say and tion caused the increased risk of Al- zheimer’s. The authors themselves point out that it is possible that early Alzheimer’s disease causes anxiety that is subsequently treated with prescription anti-anxiety medica- tions, and that there is no causal re- lationship. It is also possible to see this result from chance, although the authors found less than 0.1 percent likelihood this result is due to chance alone. Finally, it’s possible that there is both a direct, causal link between taking benzodiazepine drugs and developing Alzheimer’s disease and that early Alzheimer’s causes some people enough anxiety that they are prescribed these anti-anxiety medi- cations. That implies that the risk is less than the numbers from the study. A different study design may reveal the truth. There are many good reasons not to use benzodiazepine medications, and I never prescribe them for long- term use. Increased risk of both falls and automobile collisions are two that most concern me. (Multiple studies have confi rmed this risk, so it is likely that these drugs do cause some people to fall and to have auto accidents.) These are also potential- ly habit-forming medications, and sometimes it becomes very diffi cult to sleep without them once they are started. Because all medications have some risk, I recommend nondrug strategies for anxiety reduction. Meditation, mindfulness and imag- ing exercises, yoga and even regu- lar exercise all have been shown to reduce anxiety without medication. Counseling and cognitive-behav- ioral therapies also are effective. If medications are needed, then SSRI medications such as sertra- line (Zoloft) have lower risks than benzodiazepines. Just a cup of hot chamomile tea might help you get through stressful times. DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband has heart disease. He’s tried every statin drug to lower his cholesterol. He cannot tolerate any of them. The muscle pain and weakness caused by these drugs is severe. His cholesterol remains high, even with proper diet and exercise. I’ve heard that CoQ10 works well for lowering cholesterol. Is there any validity to this? -- Anon. ANSWER: CoQ10 (ubiquinone) does not affect cholesterol itself. It does allow some people toler- ate statins who otherwise wouldn’t. I think it is worth a try, especially for someone like your husband, who has coronary heart disease and who would get much benefi t from a statin. how you say it. What you assert as honesty, others might perceive as Crabbiness. Be patient. Th is diffi cult period clears up by the weekend. LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your Royalness needs time away from the limelight to catch up on things, from tidying your desk to making those calls you’ve put off . You’re back in the center of things by the weekend. VIRGO (August 23 to Septem- ber 22) Honesty is the best policy, of course. But you’ll do better at achiev- ing your goals if you can be less ag- gressive and more circumspect in how you phrase your comments. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your ability to maintain your bal- ance in confusing situations contin- ues to work for you. Stay on the steady course, one step at a time. Th e week- end shows improvement. SCORPIO (October 23 to Novem- ber 21) Your indecisiveness could simply be your keen Scorpian sense warning you to be wary of making a commitment. Take this time to do a more thorough investigation. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Good news: New in- formation comes your way to help you make a more informed decision on how to deal with the opportunity that has opened up for you. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Th is is a good time to reinforce your self-confi dence by ac- knowledging your good qualities to yourself. A lull in your social life ends by the weekend. Have fun. AQUARIUS (January 20 to Febru- ary 18) It’s a good time to let those recently pent-up emotions fl ow more freely. Why not start by letting the people you care for know how you re- ally feel about them? PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Resist off ers, no matter how well- intentioned, to help with a personal decision. Only you know what must be done, and you have the emotional strength to follow through. Siuslaw N ews ! AD IT DAY E R TO www. the siuslawnews.com E -E DITION • S PORTS • T OP S TORIES • O BITUARIES • W EATHER • F ORUMS • B LOGS
