A study published today, Thursday, revealed severe side effects associated with the use of antipsychotic medications to alleviate dementia symptoms such as Alzheimer's disease, causing controversy regarding these drugs. The study published in the British Medical Journal ("BMJ") stated that "the use of antipsychotics in adults with dementia is associated with an increased risk of stroke, venous blood clots, myocardial infarction, heart failure, fractures, pneumonia, and acute kidney failure."
Medications such as "risperidone," "haloperidol," "quetiapine," and "olanzapine" are typically used to treat mental disorders like schizophrenia and sometimes in cases of treatment-resistant depression. However, they are sometimes prescribed to patients suffering from dementia, like Alzheimer's disease, not to treat these often incurable illnesses, but to alleviate certain symptoms like aggressive behavior.
The use of these medications raises significant controversy due to the dangerous side effects they may cause and their limited effectiveness. In the United Kingdom, where the "BMJ" study was conducted, only "risperidone" and "haloperidol" are permitted for treating dementia.
The study showed greater risks associated with antipsychotics used in dementia treatment compared to previous studies, including, for example, pneumonia. However, the study, which relied on a retrospective examination of data from the British healthcare system, does not establish a direct causal relationship, as pneumonia, in some cases, may have contributed to the onset of dementia and consequently to the prescription of its treatment, rather than the other way around.
Conversely, several neurologists and geriatricians praised the seriousness of the methodology and the importance of this study at a time when antipsychotics have been increasingly prescribed since the COVID crisis.
