Apparently!
Especially if you’re elderly.
It’s an interesting observational, statistically matched-control study using Electronic Health Records to monitor prescriptions of zolpidem (Ambien) and other benzodiazepines (Temazepam), commonly used as sleep aids, particularly in the shift-work population.
I think this graph pretty well sums up their results:
Blue lines are hypnotic-free, orange lines are patients taking hypnotics. Downward slopes – exaggerated by the vertical scale – are bad. An increased hazard for cancer was also found in patients prescribed hypnotics.
There are, of course, flaws with this study – but it is consistent with other published literature suggesting harms associated with hypnotic use. The huge limitation of a study like this is controlling retrospectively for all the comorbid cofounders. They attempt to do this statistically with a small set of comorbid disease, but it remains a limitation.
“Hypnotics’ association with mortality or cancer: a matched cohort study”
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000850