Some sleep medications may increase respiratory failure risk in COPD patients

The use of benzodiazepine receptor agonists was a significant risk factor for respiratory failure in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study from Taiwan that was published in the July issue of the journal SLEEP. The authors suggest that the prescription of non-benzodiazepines may be safer for the management of insomnia in COPD patients.

Read the study in the journal SLEEP: The Use of Benzodiazepine Receptor Agonists and Risk of Respiratory Failure in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Case-Control Study