The use of atypical antipsychotics to treat elderly patients with dementia appears to have decreased following a 2005 FDA advisory regarding the risks of these medications in this population, according to a report in the January 11 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Despite government warnings and professional recommendations about diabetes risks associated with second-generation antipsychotic drugs, fewer than one-third of Medicaid patients treated with these medications undergo tests of blood glucose or lipid levels, according to a report in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Scientists have resolved a question about how a popular class of drugs used to treat schizophrenia works by using biosensors that reveal previously hidden components of chemical communication in the brain.
Treatment that includes medication plus a structured training program for parents reduces serious behavioral problems in children with autism and related conditions, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Many pediatric and adolescent patients who received second-generation antipsychotic medications experienced significant weight gain, along with varied adverse effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels and other metabolic measures, according to a study in the October 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The FDA has approved the Supplemental New Drug Applications (sNDAs) for using Risperdal Consta (risperidone) alone and in combination with lithium or valproate to treat bipolar disorder.
Antipsychotic drugs, such as olanzapine (Zyprexa), risperidone (Risperdal) and quetiapine (Seroquel), are commonly used to treat psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and even behavioral problems related to dementia.
Patients ages 30 to 74 who took atypical antipsychotics such as risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), olanzapine (Zyprexa) and clozapine (Clozaril) had a significantly higher risk of sudden death from cardiac arrhythmias and other cardiac causes than patients who did not take these medications. The risk of death increased with higher doses of the drugs taken.
Many prescription drugs are valuable in treating diseases for which they were not approved, but doctors, insurers and drugmakers have little to guide them in how to evaluate the safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these drugs in their off-label uses.
