PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Antipsychotics for dementia linked to more harms than previously acknowledged

Risks highest soon after starting drugs, underscoring need for increased caution in early stages of treatment, say experts

2024-04-18
(Press-News.org) Antipsychotic use in people with dementia is associated with elevated risks of a wide range of serious adverse outcomes including stroke, blood clots, heart attack, heart failure, fracture, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury, compared with non-use, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

These findings show a considerably wider range of harms associated with antipsychotic use in people with dementia than previously acknowledged in regulatory alerts, with risks highest soon after starting the drugs, underscoring the need for increased caution in the early stages of treatment.

Despite safety concerns, antipsychotics continue to be widely prescribed for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia such as apathy, depression, aggression, anxiety, irritability, delirium, and psychosis. 

Previous regulatory warnings when prescribing antipsychotics for these symptoms are based on evidence of increased risks for stroke and death, but evidence of other adverse outcomes is less conclusive amongst people with dementia. 

To address this uncertainty, researchers set out to investigate the risks of several adverse outcomes potentially associated with antipsychotic use in people with dementia.

The outcomes of interest were stroke, major blood clots (venous thromboembolism), heart attack (myocardial infarction), heart failure, irregular heart rhythm (ventricular arrhythmia), fractures, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury.

Using linked primary care, hospital, and mortality data in England, they identified 173,910 people (63% women) diagnosed with dementia at an average age of 82 between January 1998 and May 2018 who had not been prescribed an antipsychotic in the year before their diagnosis.

Each of the 35,339 patients prescribed an antipsychotic on or after the date of their dementia diagnosis was then matched with up to 15 randomly selected patients who had not used antipsychotics.

Patients with a history of the specific outcome under investigation before their diagnosis were excluded from the analysis of that outcome.

The most commonly prescribed antipsychotics were risperidone, quetiapine, haloperidol, and olanzapine, which together accounted for almost 80% of all prescriptions.

Potentially influential factors including personal patient characteristics, lifestyle, pre-existing medical conditions, and prescribed drugs were also taken into account.

Compared with non-use, antipsychotic use was associated with increased risks for all outcomes, except ventricular arrhythmia. For example, in the first three months of treatment, rates of pneumonia among antipsychotic users were 4.48% vs 1.49% for non-users. At one year, this rose to 10.41% for antipsychotic users vs 5.63% for non-users. 

Risks were also high among antipsychotic users for acute kidney injury (1.7-fold increased risk), as well as stroke and venous thromboembolism (1.6-fold increased risk) compared with non-users.

For almost all outcomes, risks were highest during the first week of antipsychotic treatment, particularly for pneumonia.  

The researchers estimate that over the first six months of treatment, antipsychotic use might be associated with one additional case of pneumonia for every 9 patients treated, and one additional heart attack for every 167 patients treated. At two years, there might be one additional case of pneumonia for every 15 patients treated, and one additional heart attack for every 254 patients treated.

This is an observational study so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and the researchers cautioned that some misclassification of antipsychotic use may have occurred. And although they adjusted for a range of factors, they can’t rule out the possibility that other unmeasured variables may have affected their results.

However, this was a large analysis based on reliable health data that investigated a wide range of adverse events and reported both relative and absolute risks over several time periods. 

As such, the researchers say antipsychotics are associated with a considerably wider range of serious adverse outcomes than previously highlighted in regulatory alerts, with the highest risks soon after starting treatment, and are therefore of direct relevance to guideline developers, regulators, clinicians, patients and their carers.

Any potential benefits of antipsychotic treatment need to be weighed against risk of serious harm and treatment plans should be reviewed regularly, they add.

The findings of this study will equip healthcare professionals with more nuanced data to help guide personalised treatment decisions, say US researchers in a linked editorial.

They explain that international guidelines advise restricting use to adults with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, but the rate of prescribing has risen in recent years, partly due to the relative scarcity of effective non-drug alternatives and the substantial resources needed to implement them.

“Increased priority on more patient centric care, tailored care plans, regular reassessment of management options, and a move away from the overprescription of antipsychotics is overdue,” they conclude.

[Ends]

 

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Health improvements occurred worldwide since 2010 despite COVID-19 pandemic, but progress was uneven

2024-04-18
Rates of early death and poor health caused by HIV/AIDS and diarrhea have been cut in half since 2010, and the rate of disease burden caused by injuries has dropped by a quarter in the same time period, after accounting for differences in age and population size across countries, based on a new study published in The Lancet. The study measures the burden of disease in years lost to early death and poor health. The findings indicate that total rates of global disease burden dropped by 14.2% between 2010 and 2019. However, the researchers found that the COVID-19 pandemic ...

Mind the gender gap – Met police least trusted by women

2024-04-18
Across England, confidence lowest among women and ethnic minorities Tory voters more trusting of police   Across all England’s regions, a study out in the journal Policing & Society spotlights London’s Metropolitan Police as the area where women trust the least.  Researchers surveyed more than 8,000 men and women between July 2022 and September 2023 and found women generally trust police more than men. But among the nine English regions surveyed, compared with men, women’s trust is at its lowest in London. It comes after a 2023 investigation triggered by outrage at the rape, abduction and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer, uncovered ...

Surrey engineers help Mauritius spot illegal fishing from space

2024-04-18
Authorities in Mauritius will begin combatting illegal fishing with satellite technology thanks to a partnership between the University of Surrey and the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC).   The Nereus project combines satellite images with other ship location data. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect anomalies, spotting ships of interest and working out where they are headed. Authorities can then check whether illegal fishing is taking place.   Dr Raffaella Guida, Reader in Satellite Remote Sensing at the Surrey Space Centre, at the University of Surrey, said: "Catching vessels illegally fishing off an island ...

Opioid dependence remains high but stable in Scotland, new surveillance report finds

2024-04-18
Opioid dependence in Scotland remains high but largely stable, according to a new University of Bristol-led analysis published in Addiction today [18 April] and by Public Health Scotland. The study is the first to estimate the number of people dependent on opioid drugs (such as heroin), and who are in or could benefit from drug treatment, among Scotland’s population since 2015/2016 estimates were published. Scotland has one of the highest rates of drug-related deaths in Europe, with the number of these more than doubling between 2011 and 2020. At 250-300 per million population in 2021-22, Scotland’s rate of drug-related deaths was ...

Protecting brain cells with cannabinol

Protecting brain cells with cannabinol
2024-04-18
LA JOLLA (April 17, 2024)—One in every 10 individuals above the age of 65 develops an age-related neurological disorder like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, yet treatment options remain sparse for this population. Scientists have begun exploring whether cannabinoids—compounds derived from the cannabis plant, like well-known THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol)—may offer a solution. A third, lesser-known cannabinoid called CBN (cannabinol) has recently piqued the interest of researchers, who have begun exploring the clinical potential of the milder, less ...

Calorie restriction study reveals complexities in how diet impacts aging

2024-04-18
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State researchers may have uncovered another layer of complexity in the mystery of how diet impacts aging. A new study led by researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development examined how a person’s telomeres — sections of genetic bases that function like protective caps at the ends of chromosomes — were affected by caloric restriction. The team published their results in Aging Cell. Analyzing data from a two-year study of caloric restriction in humans, the researchers found that people who restricted their calories lost telomeres at different rates ...

Atom-by-atom: Imaging structural transformations in 2D materials

Atom-by-atom: Imaging structural transformations in 2D materials
2024-04-18
Silicon-based electronics are approaching their physical limitations and new materials are needed to keep up with current technological demands. Two-dimensional (2D) materials have a rich array of properties, including superconductivity and magnetism, and are promising candidates for use in electronic systems, such as transistors. However, precisely controlling the properties of these materials is extraordinarily difficult. In an effort to understand how and why 2D interfaces take on the structures they do, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a method ...

How 3D printers can give robots a soft touch

How 3D printers can give robots a soft touch
2024-04-18
Soft skin coverings and touch sensors have emerged as a promising feature for robots that are both safer and more intuitive for human interaction, but they are expensive and difficult to make. A recent study demonstrates that soft skin pads doubling as sensors made from thermoplastic urethane can be efficiently manufactured using 3D printers. “Robotic hardware can involve large forces and torques, so it needs to be made quite safe if it’s going to either directly interact with humans or be used in human environments,” said project lead Joohyung Kim, a professor of electrical & computer engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. ...

Rice alumna wins prestigious merit-based fellowship for new Americans

2024-04-17
HOUSTON – (April 17, 2024) – Rice University alumna Minjung Kim is one of 30 recipients of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, a merit-based graduate school program for immigrants and children of immigrants. The highly selective award recognizes fellows “for accomplishments that show creativity, originality and initiative [and for] the potential to make meaningful contributions to the United States” in their field of study. Each awardee receives up to $90,000 in funding to support their graduate studies at institutions across the U.S. “This fellowship is a unique experience from the very start — not only did it require me to think ...

International group runs simulations capable of describing South America's climate with unprecedented accuracy

International group runs simulations capable of describing South Americas climate with unprecedented accuracy
2024-04-17
A consortium made up of researchers from more than ten countries, including Brazil, the United States and some European nations, is running simulations of the past and future climate in South America with unprecedented resolution. The aim is to create a computer visualization model that more accurately represents the hydroclimatic processes that occur in the region to help decision-makers implement more effective measures to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The work was presented at a panel discussion on climate on April 10, during FAPESP Week Illinois, in Chicago (United States). “We’re ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Nationwide study looks at when and where EV owners use public charging stations

A new discovery about the source of the vast energy in cosmic rays

Cancer ‘fingerprint’ can improve early detection

Rethinking the brain pacemaker: How better materials can improve signals

Allostatic load, educational attainment, and risk of cancer mortality among us men

Flaw in computer memory leads to global security fixes

Race, ethnicity, and sleep in us children

Geriatric surgery verification program can improve outcomes for older cancer patients in community hospitals

Pew funds 8 teams to conduct collaborative biomedical research

Finding innovative ways to address kidney cancer leads to DoD grant

Americans are uninformed about and undervaccinated for HPV

KTU scientists developed a nanolaser: silver nanocubes enable light generation

Insilico Medicine nominates orally available pre-clinical candidate targeting NLRP3 to treat inflammation and central nervous system diseases

PLOS receives $3.3 million grant to support Open Access publishing & business model transformation

HBx facilitates drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma via CD133-regulated self-renewal of liver cancer stem cells

ASN congratulates members for their role in the development of the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Late-stage breast cancer diagnosis on the rise in US

Brain volume changes seen in opioid users

Ultra-processed foods may drive colorectal cancer risk, USF-TGH study finds

Two Case Western Reserve University faculty members honored as Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

How this cancer drug could make radiation a slam dunk therapy

National TRAP Program funds large-scale cleanup of discarded fishing gear

Using ‘biological age’ to predict early colorectal cancer risk

National Academy of Inventors announces Class of 2024 Fellows

SwRI showcases capabilities, evaluates novel fire-safety method with customized test

Caring for the emotional and spiritual needs of family members of ICU patients

Navigating crises: The financial adaptations of NGOs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Early life exposure to toxic chemicals may cause behavioral, psychological problems

AI predicts Earth’s peak warming

Risk of coronary artery disease in patients with liver cirrhosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

[Press-News.org] Antipsychotics for dementia linked to more harms than previously acknowledged
Risks highest soon after starting drugs, underscoring need for increased caution in early stages of treatment, say experts