Popular Dementia Treatment Could Be Doing More Harm Than Good

Experts emphasize the need for heightened caution in the initial stages of treatment, as risks are greatest soon after starting medication.
A study recently published by The BMJ finds that antipsychotic use in people with dementia is linked to higher risks of numerous severe adverse outcomes, including stroke, blood clots, heart attack, heart failure, fractures, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury, compared to non-use.

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 behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia such as apathy, depression, aggression, anxiety, irritability, delirium, and psychosis.