Antipsychotic Drugs Pose More Risks for Alzheimer's Individuals

A few months ago, I expressed concern over the frequent use of antipsychotic medications to manage behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, given that those taking these kinds of drugs are 3 - 4 times more likely to be hospitalized or die than those who aren't taking such medications.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine just gave me another reason to be concerned. In their study of past records of 6,790 patients, they found that antipsychotics increased the risk for stroke in all cases; those who had dementia were twice as likely to have had a stroke than those without dementia.

The study did not investigate possible reasons for this trend, but the results are clear: People with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias who take antipsychotic medications appear to have an increased risk for stroke -- a serious incident that can cause or worsen vascular dementia.

Physicians and families should think seriously about the potential benefits of antipsychotic medications compared to the possible risks. While some symptoms such as vivid, frightening hallucinations or delusions only respond to medication, behavior management strategies can go a long way toward dealing with these difficult symptoms -- without the potential risk of stroke or other serious side effects.

For more information:

• Behavior Management
• What to Ask Your Doctor About Medications
• Symptoms of Alzheimer's

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