Do antipsychotics cost lives or save lives? Risks versus benefits from large epidemiological studies.

摘要

Antipsychotic agents are now the largest class of psychotropic, overtaking antidepressants in sales in 2007. Like most drugs, antipsychotic agents have positive and negative effects, but surprisingly, this may extend beyond quality of life to a direct infhience upon mortality. Recently, conflicting headlines have reported that mortality in people treated with antipsychotic agents is higher or lower than expected, leading to either concern or celebration.2'3 The underlying story is complex because much data are of poor quality and antipsychotic agents are prescribed for several conditions that cany an inherent high mortality rate, most notably, schizophrenia and dementia, each of which accounts for at least a million people taking antipsychotic agents in the United States. In trying to answer the question of whether antipsychotics cost lives or save lives, it is necessary to concentrate on the best data from the largest epidemiological studies.