According to the current issue of BMC Geriatrics, sedative treatment in older patients was associated with an almost 14-fold increase of suicide risk in the crude analysis and remained an independent risk factor for suicide even after adjustment for the presence of mental disorders. Specifically, having a current prescription for a hypnotic was associated with a 4-fold increase in suicide risk in the adjusted model. The authors concluded that sedatives may increase suicide risk in the elderly by triggering aggressive or impulsive behavior, or by providing the means to take an overdose.