Dementia Patients Are Often Treated With Anti-Psychotics. That Can Be Dangerous

Alzheimer’s and similar neurodegenerative conditions aren’t just diseases of the memory, but diseases of the whole mind. They lead to personality and behavioral changes that, as they progress, prove ever more challenging for caregivers. Faced with difficult-to-manage symptoms—such as aggression, agitation, and psychosis—doctors sometimes turn to off-label prescriptions of antipsychotic medications. But these serious psychiatric drugs are overprescribed and used inappropriately for off-label dementia management, according to a new study of older patients in New York. Data assembled by researchers from across the state revealed that among homebound elderly patients receiving home health care services, those with Alzheimer’s and related dementias (ADRD) were more than twice as likely to be taking antipsychotic medications than other elderly home-care patients, a difference the study authors say indicates overprescription. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Anti-psychotic drugs should be a last resort Most antipsychotic medications, including all that were included in the study, aren’t approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat dementia, but many physicians continue to use them anyway, making it a common off-label use of the drugs. According to the best practices set forth by the Alzheimer’s Association, off-label antipsychotic drugs should be a last resort for the behavioral and psychological symptoms...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthscienceclimate Source Type: news