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Antipsychotics Do Help Many With Schizophrenia, Study Finds

Posted 3 May 2012 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, May 3 – A new study finds that antipsychotic drugs can help many people with schizophrenia, cutting patients' risk of relapse by 60 percent. The study, involving data stretching back 50 years, also found that schizophrenia patients who take antipsychotics are much less likely to be hospitalized and may behave less aggressively and have a better quality of life than patients who don't take the drugs. One expert said the finding mirrors what he and other professionals have experienced. The data "is consistent with what we see in clinical practice – that we are very well able to keep our patients functioning better and out of the hospital when they consistently take these medications," said Dr. Roberto Estrada, attending psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. The findings are published in the May 3 online edition of The Lancet. In the study, German researchers ... Read more

Prenatal Antipsychotic Drugs Linked to Motor Delays: Study

Posted 3 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 3 – Infants born to mothers who take antipsychotic medications during pregnancy have significantly lower than normal scores on a standard test of movement, posture and reflexes, a new study has found. Antipsychotic drugs often are used in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Researchers from Emory University in Atlanta compared the neuromotor skills of more than 300 infants at age 6 months. Some of the babies' mothers took either antipsychotic drugs or antidepressants during pregnancy, and some took no psychiatric medications. Infants born to mothers who took antipsychotics had much lower scores on the neuromotor test than those born to mothers who took antidepressants or no psychiatric medications. Only 19 percent of infants exposed to antipsychotic medications had normal test results. "Future investigations are warranted to disentangle the relative ... Read more

Antipsychotic Drugs Might Raise Heart Attack Risk: Study

Posted 28 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 28 – Antipsychotic drugs can raise the risk of heart attack in older patients with dementia, a new study suggests. It's common to prescribe antipsychotics to older patients with dementia to control symptoms such as agitation, hallucinations and aggression. Previous studies have found that this use of the drugs may be linked to an increased risk of stroke and death from all causes. But until now, the risk of heart attack associated with the use of antipsychotic drugs in older people with dementia had been "poorly examined," wrote study author Dr. Antoine Pariente, of Universite Bordeaux Segalen in France, and colleagues. They looked at nearly 11,000 patients, aged 66 and older, in Quebec who were being treated with cholinesterase inhibitors for dementia and were also prescribed antipsychotics. Within a year of starting treatment with the antipsychotics, 1.3 percent of ... Read more

Prescription Meds Can Put on Unwanted Pounds

Posted 2 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 2 – Medications taken by millions of Americans for mood disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic conditions can have an unhealthy side effect: weight gain. While other choices exist for some types of drugs, adjusting medications is not simply a matter of switching, said Ryan Roux, chief pharmacy officer with the Harris County Hospital District, in Houston. In the late 1990s, Dr. Lawrence Cheskin conducted early research on prescription medicines and obesity. "Some medicines make an early, noticeable difference, causing patients to become ravenously hungry, while changes are subtle for others. A few months taking them and you've gained 10 pounds," said Cheskin, now director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, in Baltimore. To help increase awareness, Roux and his pharmacist group have compiled a list of "weight-promoting" and "weight-neutral or ... Read more

Atypical Antipsychotics Appear to Be Effective For Only Few Off-Label Uses

Posted 28 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

CHICAGO—A review of previous studies suggests that even though atypical antipsychotic medications are commonly used for off-label conditions such as behavioral symptoms of dementia, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, these medications are effective for only a few off-label conditions, and that the benefits and harms of these medications for these uses vary, according to an article in the September 28 issue of JAMA. "Atypical antipsychotic medications are approved for marketing and labeling by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression under drug-specific circumstances. The use of atypical antipsychotic medications is rapidly increasing in the United States, with 1 study estimating an increase from 6.2 million to 14.3 million treatment visits between 1995 and 2008. The estimated use of these drugs for off-label i ... Read more

Mixed Results Seen With 'Off-Label' Use of Antipsychotics

Posted 27 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Sept. 27 – Even though off-label use of atypical antipsychotic drugs is common, a new review finds that such use is only effective in a few conditions and can be harmful in others. Also known as "second-generation" antipsychotics, these drugs are approved in the United States for treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. But off-label use – or use not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – of these drugs to treat a number of other conditions is growing. Researchers analyzed findings from 393 clinical studies to gauge effectiveness and uncover harmful side effects when Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel, Abilify, Geodon, Saphris, Fanapt and Invega were used outside of FDA-approved indications. Off-label use included treatment for behavioral symptoms in dementia, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, post-traumatic ... Read more

Antipsychotics Best for Controlling Mania: Study

Posted 16 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Aug. 16 – The manic episodes experienced by those with bipolar disorder are better controlled by antipsychotic drugs than mood stabilizers, a new, large study suggests. Researchers from Italy and the United Kingdom also found that three antipsychotics – first-generation haloperidol (Haldol) along with later formulations of risperidone (Risperdal) and olanzapine (Zyprexa) – outperformed 11 other drugs. The scientists analyzed results from 68 randomized, controlled trials with more than 16,000 participants over a 30-year period. Mania typically alternates with depression in those with bipolar disorder, which tends to run in families and begin between the ages of 15 and 25, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Acute manic episodes – characterized by hyperactivity, racing thoughts and reckless behavior – are not experienced by all bipolar patients, but severe ... Read more

Patients Taking Antipsychotics Urged to Get Routine Physicals

Posted 12 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Aug. 12 – Patients who take antipsychotic medications aren't being adequately monitored for dangerous health complications, researchers have found. Known as "metabolic complications," these conditions are common among patients taking antipsychotic drugs. For example, up to 60 percent have lipid (blood fat) abnormalities such as high cholesterol, 40 percent have high blood pressure and 30 percent have metabolic syndrome. It's believed that about 90 percent of patients who take antipsychotic drugs have at least one metabolic risk factor, the researchers said. Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raise the risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke. The risk factors include abdominal obesity, high blood fat levels, high blood pressure and high levels of blood sugar. The risk of metabolic complications is especially high in schizophrenia patients treated ... Read more

Half of Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Psychosis Treated With Antipsychotic Agents, Including Drugs that May Worsen Parkinson Symptoms

Posted 12 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com

CHICAGO—Half of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and psychosis receive prescriptions for anti-psychotic (AP) agents, including drugs that have the potential to worsen Parkinson symptoms, and the frequency of use of these agents has not changed since a warning about using these drugs in patients with dementia and PD was issued, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. According to background information in the article, many individuals with a diagnosis of PD—including up to 45,000 of those living in the United States—eventually develop psychosis. "However," the authors write, "AP use in PD is complicated by is potential to worsen parkinsonism and limited evidence for efficacy." Parkinson's disease is also associated with dementia and complications of that condition, which may be exacerbated by APs; a "black box" warning abo ... Read more

Parkinson's Patients Still Prescribed Antipsychotics Despite Warning

Posted 11 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, July 11 – Antipsychotic drugs are still prescribed to more than half of U.S. patients with Parkinson's disease and psychosis even though a warning that these drugs can worsen Parkinson's symptoms was issued six years ago, a new study reveals. Many Parkinson's disease patients, including as many as 45,000 in the United States, eventually develop psychosis, meaning their thoughts are sometimes disconnected from reality. Parkinson's disease is also associated with dementia and complications of that condition, which may be exacerbated by antipsychotic drugs, according to the researchers. In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered antipsychotic drug packages to carry a "black box" warning about the risks the drugs pose to Parkinson's patients. In the new study, published in the July issue of the journal Archives of Neurology, researchers analyzed Veterans Affairs data ... Read more

Antipsychotic Drugs Raise Heart Risks, Experts Warn

Posted 18 Feb 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 18 – Doctors must not forget about the physical health of people with serious mental health disorders who take antipsychotic drugs, experts warn. The authors of an editorial in the Feb. 19 issue of The Lancet noted that patients with severe mental illness live an average of 16 years less than people in the general population. Heart disease, not suicide, is the major cause of death in these patients and antipsychotic drugs are a factor. A study published recently in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that patients who took an antipsychotic drug gained 11 to 13 pounds within six to eight weeks after they starting taking the drug. "The combination of antipsychotic side effects with poor diet, physical inactivity, high rates of smoking and other factors associated with psychotic illness, together with socioeconomic deprivation, has a devastating effect on cardiometabolic ... Read more

Schizophrenia Drugs May Spur Subtle Brain Tissue Loss

Posted 10 Feb 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 7 – The use of antipsychotic drugs to treat schizophrenia is associated with the loss of a small but measurable amount of brain tissue, a new study finds. It included 211 schizophrenia patients who each underwent an average of three MRI brain scans over 7.2 years, for a total of 674 scans in the study group. The researchers then examined how four factors affected changes in brain volume over time: illness duration, illness severity, substance abuse and treatment with antipsychotic drugs. Longer duration of illness and antipsychotic treatment were both associated with loss of brain tissue. Higher doses of antipsychotics were associated with overall brain tissue loss, reduced gray matter and progressive declines in white matter. Illness severity and substance abuse had little or no association with brain tissue changes, according to the study, published in the February issue ... Read more

Atypical Antipsychotics Linked to Blood Clot Risk in Study

Posted 22 Sep 2010 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 22 – People taking newer types of antipsychotic drugs, like Seroquel, may be at increased risk for developing a serious blood clot called a venous thromboembolism, British researchers say. Although developed to treat psychiatric illnesses, these drugs are also prescribed for other conditions such as nausea, vomiting and vertigo, potentially putting many people at risk, the researchers noted. "In a large primary care population there was an association between use of antipsychotic drugs and risk of venous thromboembolism," lead researcher Dr. Julia Hippisley-Cox, professor of clinical epidemiology and general practice at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, and colleagues wrote. Venous thromboembolism is the overall term for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. "The increased risk was more marked among new users and those prescribed atypical ... Read more

FDA Warnings Associated With Reduced Atypical Antipsychotic Use Among Older Adults With Dementia

Posted 12 Jan 2010 by Drugs.com

CHICAGO, Jan. 11, 2010-The use of atypical antipsychotics to treat elderly patients with dementia appears to have decreased following a 2005 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory regarding the risks of these medications in this population, according to a report in the January 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Clozapine, the first second-generation or "atypical" antipsychotic medication, was introduced in the United States in 1989, according to background information in the article. Several additional drugs, including risperidone, olanzapine and paliperidone, followed. Although they are less likely to cause neurological adverse effects associated with conventional or "typical" antipsychotics, some reports have linked atypical antipsychotics to strokes, diabetes and other severe adverse events. In April 2005, the FDA issued a public health ... Read more

Antipsychotics Still Widely Used in U.S. Nursing Homes

Posted 11 Jan 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Jan. 11 – Many Americans in nursing homes still get powerful antipsychotic medications, despite recent attempts by the U.S. government to rein in the practice, two new studies show. The practice can control problem behaviors, but can also threaten physical health. Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration instituted a "black box" warning in 2005, one study found a 19 percent decrease in the prescription of atypical antipsychotics in elderly people with dementia. But the researchers found that in 2008, antipsychotics still represented 9 percent of all prescriptions in this group. "The [2005] safety warning pertained to an increased risk of death among individuals using these drugs, so the public health ramifications of use of these drugs in elderly people with dementia, often in nursing homes, which we consider a vulnerable population, is concerning," said Dr. E. Ray Dorsey, ... Read more

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Schizophrenia, Paranoid Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder