Zyprexa News
Zyprexa Increases Risk of Death in Elderly
- October 19, 2005
Researchers published a study today in the Journal of the American Medical Association that pooled together research from 15 studies previously conducted to study the effects of atypical anti-psychotics, such as Zyprexa. This study indicates elderly patients taking Zyprexa for dementia-related aggression and delusions are at a significantly greater risk of death. Zyprexa is approved to treat bipolar disease and schizophrenia and is not FDA approved for elderly patients with dementia. Doctors frequently prescribe Zyprexa for off-label use in elderly patients because the symptoms of dementia are similar to schizophrenia.
According to the study of 5,000 elderly patients with dementia, those taking Zyprexa and similar drugs were at a 54 percent increased risk of dying within the first twelve weeks of treatment, compared to those patients not taking these anti-psychotics. Of the 3,353 patients taking Zyprexa or a similar drug, 118 died, compared to 40 in the placebo group.
The FDA issued a warning in April 2005 that Zyprexa and similar drugs have been linked to heart failure and pneumonia in elderly patients with dementia. The current study does not indicate the common causes of death in these patients taking Zyprexa. The University of Southern California's Dr. Don Schneider, author of the recent Zyprexa dementia study says these results should increase caution but not great fear. He also cites the clinical need for such drugs in light of the fact there are so few alternatives.
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or not Zyprexa and similar atypical antipsychotic drugs are linked to diabetes
is a question that will be answered in the Zyprexa lawsuits that have been
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