Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of GAD patients designated as long-term benzodiazepine users, by age
Characteristic | Patient Age | All Patients (N=866) | |
|---|---|---|---|
<50 Years (N=568) | ≥50 Years (N=298) | ||
Mean (SD) age, years | 35.8 (9.7) | 57.6 (7.1) | 43.3 (13.6) |
Women | 293 (51.6) | 169 (56.7) | 462 (53.3) |
Comorbidities | |||
Mental disorders | |||
Other anxiety disorders | 105 (18.5) | 43 (14.4) | 148 (17.1) |
Depressive disorders | 259 (45.6) | 133 (44.6) | 392 (45.3) |
Bipolar disorder | 9 (1.6) | 5 (1.7) | 14 (1.6) |
Tension headache | 6 (1.1) | 2 (0.7) | 8 (0.9) |
Personality disorders | 7 (1.2) | 4 (1.3) | 11 (1.3) |
Alcohol abuse/alcoholism | 3 (0.5) | 2 (0.7) | 5 (0.6) |
Drug abuse | 15 (2.6) | 2 (0.7) | 17 (2.0) |
Suicide attempts | 13 (2.3) | 5 (1.7) | 18 (2.1) |
All other | |||
Sleep disorders | 65 (11.4) | 47 (15.8) | 112 (12.9) |
Neoplasms | 8 (1.4) | 15 (5.0) | 23 (2.7) |
Diabetes | 12 (2.1) | 36 (12.1) | 48 (5.5) |
Migraine | 17 (3.0) | 10 (3.4) | 27 (3.1) |
Ischemic heart disease | 2 (0.4) | 14 (4.7) | 16 (1.8) |
Cerebrovascular disease | 6 (1.1) | 8 (2.7) | 14 (1.6) |
Asthma | 23 (4.0) | 19 (6.4) | 42 (4.8) |
Painful neuropathic disorders | 54 (9.5) | 45 (15.1) | 99 (11.4) |
Symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions | |||
Fatigue | 71 (12.5) | 45 (15.1) | 116 (13.4) |
Headache | 50 (8.8) | 20 (6.7) | 70 (8.1) |
Chest pain | 55 (9.7) | 31 (10.4) | 86 (9.9) |
Abdominal pain | 65 (11.4) | 31 (10.4) | 96 (11.1) |
Anxiety-related symptoms | 72 (12.7) | 48 (16.1) | 120 (13.9) |
Any symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions | 211 (37.1) | 119 (39.9) | 330 (38.1) |
Region | |||
Northeast | 164 (28.9) | 84 (28.2) | 248 (28.6) |
South | 140 (24.6) | 54 (18.1) | 194 (22.4) |
West | 92 (16.2) | 55 (18.5) | 147 (17.0) |
Midwest | 172 (30.3) | 105 (35.2) | 277 (32.0) |
Payer type | |||
HMO | 138 (24.3) | 63 (21.1) | 201 (23.2) |
PPO | 300 (52.8) | 152 (51.0) | 452 (52.2) |
Indemnity | 25 (4.4) | 22 (7.4) | 47 (5.4) |
Other | 33 (5.8) | 19 (6.4) | 52 (6.0) |