Alzheimer's: Are Antipsychotic Drugs Worth It?
Alzheimer's: Are Antipsychotic Drugs Worth It?
Treatment with antipsychotic drugs has been linked to a higher risk of death in several studies. Antipsychotics also carry a boxed warning that elderly people with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs have a higher risk of death.
“The question remains: Does the risk of relapse outweigh the risks associated with taking these drugs?” he asks.
Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD, chairs the department of psychiatry at Columbia University, but he was not involved with the study.
He says there is an urgent need for better, safer drugs to treat aggression, agitation, and psychosis in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Even the most loyal and devoted caregivers can quickly become overwhelmed when dealing with these symptoms,” he says. “This is often the point when they feel that a nursing home is their only choice.”
Lieberman agrees that important safety questions remain, but he says the new study confirms that treatment with antipsychotic drugs can improve symptoms in many people with Alzheimer’s disease.
“In general, physicians have become more reticent about prescribing these drugs to Alzheimer’s patients, even though they have nothing to replace them with,” he says. “This study should provide reassurance, but it also shows that not all patients respond.”
He adds that when the drugs are prescribed, patients must be followed carefully.
The study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Alzheimer's: Are Antipsychotic Drugs Worth It?
Antipsychotics Linked to Death continued...
Treatment with antipsychotic drugs has been linked to a higher risk of death in several studies. Antipsychotics also carry a boxed warning that elderly people with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs have a higher risk of death.
“The question remains: Does the risk of relapse outweigh the risks associated with taking these drugs?” he asks.
Jeffrey A. Lieberman, MD, chairs the department of psychiatry at Columbia University, but he was not involved with the study.
He says there is an urgent need for better, safer drugs to treat aggression, agitation, and psychosis in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Even the most loyal and devoted caregivers can quickly become overwhelmed when dealing with these symptoms,” he says. “This is often the point when they feel that a nursing home is their only choice.”
Lieberman agrees that important safety questions remain, but he says the new study confirms that treatment with antipsychotic drugs can improve symptoms in many people with Alzheimer’s disease.
“In general, physicians have become more reticent about prescribing these drugs to Alzheimer’s patients, even though they have nothing to replace them with,” he says. “This study should provide reassurance, but it also shows that not all patients respond.”
He adds that when the drugs are prescribed, patients must be followed carefully.
The study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
