Drugs used for dementia raise death risk: Study

From the Toronto Star:
Older adults who suffer dementia and are given antipsychotic drugs have a slightly higher risk of death than those who aren't prescribed these medications, a large Canadian study suggests.

And the older variety of antipsychotics – known as conventional agents – seems to be associated with a higher risk of death than newer atypical antipsychotics, researchers said in the study of Ontario patients, published Tuesday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

The study builds on previous research that led to warnings in the spring of 2005 from Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on atypical antipsychotics and dementia. ...more