Thursday, November 22, 2007

Dementia relief, with a huge side effect

The off-label use of some drugs is helping elderly patients, but may be killing thousands.

Two years ago, federal regulators sounded a dire warning: Elderly people with dementia who take drugs like Seroquel, Risperdal and Zyprexa could suffer the ultimate side effect.

They could die.

Yet today, about one in four nursing home residents still take these antipsychotic drugs. Sales to the elderly continue to rise, generating a total of $13-billion in revenues for their manufacturers this year.

The disconnect between government warnings about the increased risk of death and physician prescribing practices led a prominent Food and Drug Administration safety expert to make a stunning estimate.

Dr. David Graham, who had blown the whistle on the dangers of Vioxx, was back before a congressional panel in February. He testified that Zyprexa and other antipsychotics kill about 15,000 nursing home residents each year.

His pronouncement did not spark any followup investigations; it did not prompt government-sponsored research for safer alternatives. Instead, there was resounding silence.

READ MORE @ ST. PETERSBURG TIMES