How much of a risk is there for a 49 yr old man to develop dementia/alzheimer's from light to moderate use of xanax (alprazolam) .25 to .50 mg once or twice a week?

Some studies suggest: a connection between longer-term benzo use and dementia. Here's a link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/13/benzodiazepines.aspx For more definitive info, go to the National Institute of Health (a gov. site that will give you the real deal on studies like this. http://search.nih.gov/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&affiliate=nih&query=xanax+and+dementia&commit.x=14&commit.y=9

Unlikely: There doesn't appear to be any evidence in the literature supporting minimal exposure to benzodiazepines and the increased development of dementia or alzheimer's disease.