Drugs used to treat dementia can be deadly, report asserts

Several antipsychotics used to control symptoms of dementia increase the risk of patient death more than previously estimated, according to findings published in JAMA Psychiatry.

When University of Michigan Health System researchers examined records of about 45,000 dementia patients 65 and older, they found those taking haloperidol, risperidone, olanzapine and quetiapine had the highest mortality rates.

“The harms associated with using these drugs in dementia patients are clear,” said lead author and IHPI member Donovan Maust, “These results should raise the threshold for prescribing further.”