The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of
zolpidem in elderly subjects with disorders of sleep and comorbidities. The patients of this study had to present the following requirements: age over 70 years, reported disorders of sleep such as
insomnia, and they had to be affected with diabetes and arterial
hypertension. Patients presenting diseases that could interfere with sleep, i.e., anxiety, depression,
panic attacks,
alcohol abuse, some drugs were excluded from the study. All the jobs potentially causing
insomnia carried out in the past from the patients were considered, too. A questionnaire of sleep was administered to all the patients (World Psychiatric Association: WPA, 1971).
Insomnia, whenever present, was classified according to the criteria of the American
Sleep Disorders (ASD) Society and the American Professional Sleep Society (APSS). The following scales were also administered: instrumental
activities of daily living scale (IADL),
activities of daily living (
ADL), geriatric depression scale (GDS), cumulative illness rating scale (CIRS), short portable mental status questionnaire (SPMSQ), mini nutritional assessment (MNA), disease medical index (DMI), sleep questionnaire, social and environmental status. Two groups of patients were evaluated. Group A: 50 patients, 35 women and 15 men, mean age 78.9 years, with a history of
insomnia, and Group B 30 patients, 20 women and 10 men, mean age 78.4 years, with onset of
insomnia in the last three weeks. The two groups were further divided into three subgroups, diabetic, hypertensive and healthy patients.
Zolpidem showed to be effective and well tolerated in both groups of patients.