The use of the sleeping pill zolpidem may increase an individual's chances of having Parkinson's disease.
​Zolpidem is one of the most commonly prescribed sleeping pills worldwide. This study analyzed the relationship between the use of zolpidem and Parkison's disease (PD) risk. Researchers followed more than 100,000 Taiwanese men and women for 5 years, monitoring their drug prescription and health records.
Researchers noticed that participants diagnosed with sleep disturbance who were placed on zolpidem medication were far more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than non-users of this sleeping pill. The study concluded that "among patients with sleep disturbance, zolpidem use increased the risk of PD after 5 years of follow-up."