Antipsychotics linked to risk of stroke

This is according to a study published this week in the British Medical Journal. The risk appears to affect both those taking the drugs for dementia as well as other forms of psychosis.

Earlier studies have shown that the second generation anti-psychotics can increase the risk of stroke, but this is the first study to show that the older, first generation, drugs do the same.

Ian Douglas and colleagues, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, analysed records on the General Practice Research Database (GPRD). The GPRD consists of clinical information on more than six million patients in the UK registered at over 400 general practices. The researchers analyzed a subsample that included 6.790 patients who had a recorded incident of stroke and at least one prescription for any antispychotic medication between January 1988 and the end of 2002.

The researchers found that while patients were receiving any antipsychotic drug, they were 1.7 times more likely to have a stroke compared to while not taking an antipsychotic. This effect nearly doubled to 3.5 times more likely for people with dementia. In addition, people taking atypical antipsychotics have a slightly higher probability of having a stroke compared to those taking typical antipsychotics. No analysis was completed to understand the specific mechanisms that are behind these differences.