Several antipsychotic treatments given to dementia patients have been associated with serious side effects, including heart failure, according to a study published Thursday.
“The use of antipsychotics in people with dementia is associated with… a wide range of serious side effects, including stroke, blood clots, heart attack, heart failure, fracture, pneumonia and acute kidney injury”, according to the study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
The scientists found that the highest risks occur early in treatment, “highlighting the need for increased caution in the early stages of treatment.”
Antipsychotics – risperidone, quetiapine, haloperidol and olanzapine – are commonly prescribed to patients with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.
They are also used to treat depression that is particularly resistant to other medications, as well as to treat patients with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Antipsychotics do not cure these illnesses but are intended to calm certain symptoms such as aggressive behavior.
These treatments are very controversial due to their serious side effects and limited effectiveness.
In France, as in the United Kingdom where the BMJ After a study carried out, only risperidone and haloperidol are authorized to treat the symptoms of dementia.
However, the BMJ states that the study is “observational” and that no “firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect.”
It is possible that in some cases the side effects of pneumonia are favored over the onset of dementia.
Several neurologists welcomed the study at a time when antipsychotics have seen a resurgence in prescriptions since the Covid pandemic.
“There is therefore a risk that patients will be prescribed harmful antipsychotics simply because trained personnel capable of managing their behavior safely are not sufficiently available,” said neurologist Dr. Charles Marshall, noting, however, that treatments may be justified in rare cases.
© Agence France-Presse
News Source : www.sciencealert.com
Gn Health
