Use of 'chemical cosh' drugs in dementia patients triple risk of stroke

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cosh

Brit.

• noun a thick heavy stick or bar used as a weapon.

• verb hit on the head with a cosh.

— ORIGIN of unknown origin.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/health/2639025/Use-of-chemical-cosh-drugs-in-dementia-patients-triple-risk-of-stroke.html

Use of 'chemical cosh' drugs in dementia patients triple risk of stroke

Drugs used as a 'chemical cosh' on elderly patients with dementia in care homes can more than triple the risk of stroke, research has shown.

By , Medical Editor Last Updated: 4:48PM BST 28 Aug 2008

Safety regulators have warned that anti-psychotic drugs should not be given to dementia patients yet it is estimated that over 100,000 elderly people are given them inappropriately each year.

A study carried out using records of more than six million patients registered with GP practices in England found patients with dementia were 3.5 times more likely to suffer a stroke if they were on antipsychotic drugs.

The increased risk was smaller for patients who did not have dementia but there were still 40 per cent more strokes during the time they were taking antipsychotics compared to when they were not on them.

The research examined data from 6,790 people who had suffered at least one stroke and who had been prescribed antipsychotic drugs at some point. The team from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine looked at the rate of strokes when patients were on the drugs compared to strokes when they were not on them.

Patients were first prescribed the drugs at the age of 80 on average and the average age of first stroke was 81.

The researchers said it was not clear whether the increased risk was caused by some kind of toxicity of the drug on blood vessels in the brain or whether side effects of antipsychotics such as weight gain were responsible.

But the team found that the increased risk was present within three months of starting the drug which would have been too soon for any weight gain to effect the stroke risk.

The paper published online at bmj.com said: "We have established that all types of antipsychotics carry an increased risk, although the risk might be somewhat higher with the atypical drugs.

"As the background risk of stroke in elderly patients is relatively high, we reaffirm that the risks associated with antipsychotic drug use in patients with dementia generally outweigh the potential benefits, and use of antipsychotic drugs in these patients should be avoided whenever possible."

Neil Hunt, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "This comprehensive study highlights the detrimental affect all types of antipsychotics have on people with dementia. It confirms previous research that these drugs vastly increase risk of stroke and death.

"Care home staff need specialist dementia training to effectively care for people with dementia. Alzheimer's Society research shows that specialist training could reduce antipsychotic use by 50 per cent and save the UK £35 million a year if it was mandatory.

"The over-prescription of antipsychotics is a serious breach of human rights, these drugs should only be a last resort. The forthcoming National Dementia Strategy is a crucial opportunity stop this dangerous over prescribing and we look forward to its launch in the autumn."