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- Talking to a Loved One With Alzheimer’s
- 10 Powerful Ways to Commemorate Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
- Making the Most of Mealtimes for People With Alzheimer’s
- Family Members Provide 100 Hours a Month of Unpaid Care for Alzheimer’s
- Alzheimer’s Caregivers Should Be Screened for Depression
- Alzheimer’s Care Costs Far More Than Heart Disease or Cancer Care
- Obesity at Midlife May Speed Alzheimer’s Onset
- Hello from my mom
- Easing the Behavior Problems of Alzheimer’s Without Drugs
- When Alzheimer’s Leads to Legal Wrangles
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- High Blood Sugar Tied to Memory Decline
- Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Gets Closer
- Worried About Your Memory? Alzheimer’s May Not Be to Blame
- Brain Changes of Menopause May Promote Alzheimer’s
- Predicting Who Will Get Alzheimer’s
- Personality Changes Are Not the Earliest Sign of Alzheimer’s
- Midlife Heart Problems Raise Alzheimer’s Risk
- Anemia Tied to Mild Cognitive Impairment Risk
- Being Too Thin Late in Life Tied to Increased Alzheimer’s Risk
- A Sniff Test for Alzheimer’s Getting Closer
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- Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug, Intepirdine, Disappoints in Study
- An Eye Scan for Alzheimer’s?
- Drug to treat Alzheimer’s is Ranked Highest
- Patients Often Fail to Adhere to Alzheimer’s Drug Schedules
- Could Treatments for Diabetes Help Treat Alzheimer’s?
- Pharmacists Can Aid in Alzheimer’s Care
- Two-Drug Combo May Ease the Agitation of Alzheimer’s
- Are New, More Effective Alzheimer’s Drugs on the Horizon?
- Insulin Nasal Spray Shows Promise as Alzheimer’s Treatment
- Inflammation Holds Clues to Alzheimer’s Progression, and Possible Treatment
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- Fitness in Midlife Tied to Lower Dementia Risk in Old Age
- Doctor’s Orders: Exercise for the Sake of Your Brain
- Positive Beliefs About Aging May Help Fend Off Alzheimer’s
- Brain Training May Help to Ward Off Dementia
- How Art Can Aid People With Alzheimer’s
- Music Can Be a Balm for People With Alzheimer’s Disease
- Crossword Puzzles May Help Keep the Brain Young
- 7 Steps for Optimal Brain Health
- Men, Women and Alzheimer’s Risk
- Exercise Vigorously and Often to Boost Brain Health
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- Combining Care Program With Medication Reduces Alzheimer’s Symptoms By 750%
- Fisher Center Scientists make two new Significant Discoveries in the battle against Alzheimer’s
- Dementia Rates Are Slowing, but Alzheimer’s Cases Continue to Rise
- Fisher Center Scientists Create a Novel Imaging Technology Allowing the 3D Visualization of Brain Defects That Cause Alzheimer’s Disease
- Negative Beliefs About Aging Could Prime the Brain for Alzheimer’s
- Recognizing Faces Is a Challenge for Those With Alzheimer’s
- Fisher Center Scientists Discover Pathway That may Lead to Alzheimer’s Disease
- Brain Scans Move Closer to Early Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
- Can Vitamin E Slow Alzheimer’s Decline?
- World Alzheimer’s Month
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- The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Earns Coveted 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator for the 7th Consecutive Year
- Hear Kent Karosen, President and CEO of the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, describe his new book and the power of art therapy
- Fisher Center Scientists link a Mutation That Protects Against the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Newly Inducted Into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Shaquille O’Neal, Joins the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation to Raise Funds for Groundbreaking Research in the Quest for a Cure
- Pat Summitt, legendary women’s basketball coach, dies at 64
- Celebrating the life of Nancy Reagan for her Impact on the Fight to end Alzheimer’s
- WRNN Interview
- Fisher Center’s 20th Anniversary Celebration and recent activities
- Featured on NASDAQ’s Billboard
- Online Chat on Reddit.com with Nobel Laureate Dr. Paul Greengard
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Some Alzheimer’s Drugs Carry Serious Risks
April 12, 2005
Many popular medications prescribed for agitation, behavioral disturbances, and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease carry serious risks, including an increased risk of dying. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested that although these drugs can continue to be prescribed, drug manufacturers should alert doctors and customers about serious potential risks on informational fliers that come with the medications.
The drugs that may increase the risk of death in elderly men and women with Alzheimer’s disease include olanzapine (brand name Zyprexa), aripiprazole (Abilify), risperidone (Risperdal), and quetiapine (Seroquel). Other related drugs that may also carry an increased risk are clozapine (Clozaril), ziprasidone (Geodon), and Symbyax, a combination drug that contains olanzapine and fluoxetine.
These medications are currently approved by the FDA to treat psychosis, schizophrenia, depression, and other emotional ills. None are currently approved specifically for behavior problems in people with Alzheimer’s, although doctors commonly prescribe them for older people with the illness who exhibit behavior problems like aggression.
These newer drugs had been thought to be safer than some of the older drugs given for symptoms of pyschosis and aggressive behaviors. However, that may not be the case. Analysis of 17 large studies of these drugs involving more than 5,000 people found that they increased the overall risk of death by 1.6 to 1.7 times. While not a huge increase, it was enough to cause concern. Most of the deaths were related to heart failure or heart attacks and strokes or to infections such as pneumonia.
Several weeks ago, the FDA issued another warning about another Alzheimer’s drug, galantamine (Reminyl), commonly prescribed to slow memory decline and other cognitive symptoms of early to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. In two large studies, the drug seemed to lead to an increased risk of death in some people taking it, although the link between the drug and mortality remains uncertain. The drug’s manufacturer has recently given the drug a new brand name to avoid mix-ups at the prescription counter. Rather than Reminyl, the drug will now be marketed as Razadyne.
These advisories do not mean that you should stop taking these drugs if your doctor has prescribed them. Rather, the FDA advisory is a reminder to everyone that drugs are serious medicine, with serious side effects. If you are taking these or other drugs, always follow directions carefully. In addition, let your doctor know if you experience any new or unusual symptoms.
By www.ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. Reviewed by William J. Netzer, Ph.D., Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at The Rockefeller University.
Sources:
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Web site: www.fda.gov
for the FDA advisory on anti-psychotic drugs, click here
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