Antipsychotic adverse events highest in over-65s
Large analysis highlights the toxicity of the drugs in older patients and those with dementia
26th July 2019
By Clare Pain
Doctors should be aware that antipsychotics are potentially toxic, particularly in older patients and those with dementia, say the authors of a large meta-analysis.
German researchers examined 341 randomised controlled trials comparing second-generation antipsychotics with placebo to determine whether serious adverse events were more common among those on the drugs.
Looking only at somatic serious adverse events, they found these were 24% more likely in patients on antipsychotics than in those on placebo, the authors reported in