Death risk of banned drugs still being prescribed to people with dementia

A new study from the Alzheimer's Society shows that 81 per cent of people who were prescribed dangerous neuroleptic drug treatments before the Committee on the Safety of Medicine (CSM) warning, are still being prescribed them a year later. These figures follow an FDA alert in the US last month warning that these drug treatments increase the risk of death in people with dementia.

The FDA highlighted that 17 controlled studies of people with dementia have shown that patients treated with these drugs are 1.6 to 1.7 times more likely to die than patients given placebo.

In 2004, the CSM ruled that neuroleptic drug treatments should not be used for people with dementia because they increased the risk of stroke threefold. Despite this, Alzheimer's Society research shows that 42 per cent of people with dementia in care homes are still being prescribed them. The research was conducted in 12 nursing homes across the UK and involved 166 people with dementia.

Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said,

'It is shocking that these dangerous drug treatments are still being prescribed so widely to such vulnerable members of society. The CSM ruled last year that these drugs increase the risk of stroke for people with dementia threefold and said that it was inappropriate to prescribe them. Now we also know that they dramatically increase the risk of death in people with dementia. No-one would chose to take a drug that is dangerous and ineffective, so why are they being prescribed to people with dementia?'

For media and press enquiries please contact the Alzheimer's Society press office.

Notes for editors

• There are two types of neuroleptics (typical and atypical) and the both the CSM and FDA rulings relate to atypical neuroleptics. In September 2003, researchers found that 50 per cent were on neuroleptic drugs, with 47 per cent being on atypical neuroleptic drugs. In September 2004 (post CSM): 42 per cent were on neuroleptic drugs, with 38 per cent on atypical neuroleptic drugs.
• The US Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory on antipsychotic drug treatments in April, 2005.
• In March 2004, the Committee on Safety of Medicines decided that the neuroleptic drugs risperidone and olanzapine should not be used for the treatment of behavioural symptoms in people with dementia because they increase the risk of stroke by up to three times.
• The Alzheimer's Society is the UK's leading care and research charity for people with dementia and their carers.
• The Alzheimer's Society is the Medical Journalists' Association Medical Charity of the Year. The Alzheimer's Society is the first organisation to win this award.
• Over 750,000 people in the UK have dementia. More than half have Alzheimer's disease.
• Dementia affects one in 20 people over the age of 65 and one in five over the age of 80.
• There are 18,500 people in the UK under the age of 65 with dementia.
• For information and advice on Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia call the Alzheimer's Society national helpline on 0845 300 0336.
• Our website address is http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/.