Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis

Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death.

Analysis of 17 placebo-controlled trials (modal duration of 10 weeks) largely in patients taking atypical antipsychotic drugs for dementia-related psychosis, revealed a risk of death in antipsychotic drug-treated patients was 1.6 to 1.7 times the risk of death in placebo-treated patients. Over the course of a typical 10-week controlled trial, the incidence of death in antipsychotic drug-treated patients was about 4.5%, compared to an incidence of about 2.6% in placebo-treated patients. Although the causes of death were varied, most of the deaths appeared to be either cardiovascular (e.g., heart failure, sudden death) or infectious (e.g., pneumonia) in nature.

Milsaperidone is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis.