Long-term use of hypnotics in Japan

本研究的目的是揭示日本人长期使用催眠药的现状和长期使用催眠药的危险因素，使用大型健康保险数据。 数据来自日本多家健康保险协会约33万人的医疗费收据。 我们选择了在2005年4月至2008年3月期间首次使用至少一种催眠药的成年患者。 后续行动延长至2009年3月。 为了揭示长期使用催眠药的危险因素，我们对随访12个月的患者进行了时间依赖变量的考克斯回归分析。共有3,981例患者（男性：2,382例，女性：1,579例，40.3 ± 12.4）在研究期间首次使用催眠药。 目前的研究结果表明，失眠症合并抑郁症患者可能会继续处方催眠药更长的一段时间。

This study aimed at revealing the current status of long-term hypnotics use and the risk factor accounting for long-term use among Japanese, with the use of large-sized health insurance data. Data were derived from medical fee receipts of approximately 330,000 people enrolled in multiple health insurance associations in Japan. We selected adult patients who were prescribed at least one hypnotic for the first time between April 2005 and March 2008. Follow-up was extended to March 2009. To reveal the risk factor of long-term use of hypnotics, we performed Cox regression analyses with time-dependent variables in those patients who were followed up for up to 12 months. A total of 3,981 patients (M:2,382 F:1,579, 40.3plus or minus12.4) were prescribed hypnotics first time during the study period. The present findings indicate that insomnia comorbid with depression patients were likely to continue to be prescribed hypnotics for a longer period of time.