No excess of stroke with risperidona in a Primary Care area
In May 2004, the Spanish Committee on Drugs Safety of Medicines
advised that risperidone should not be used for long periods in elderly
patients suffering from dementia.
We conducted a retrospective study of clinical records of demented
patients over 64 in an urban area (44.800 people, 181 registered cases of
dementia) attached to a Primary Care Centre in Barcelona. We recorded
stroke rates, cardiovascular risk factors, type of dementia, and
demographic data from the whole181 community dwellers with dementia
registered from 1/1/1999 to 15/06/2004.
During the 6 years, we found 5 strokes among the 17 patients on
haloperidol (29, 4%), and 28 cerebrovascular accident among 87 patients
having risperidone (32, 2%). Out of the 61 demented patients untreated 11
(18%) had a stroke. No significant differences were found (p=0, 15). The
groups were similar except for an excess of diabetic patients in the
risperidone group (33% vs. 5, 9%, p=0.021). The average time running on
antipsychotic drugs was 1, 5±1, 6 years without differences within both
drugs. (p=0.33)
We recognize our population is small but the resemblance of risperidona
risk and benefit ratio remains unclear in Primary Care.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests:
No competing interests
25 October 2004
Maria J Gonzalez
General Practitioner. Member of the Catalonian Alzheimer treatment Counsil
Rapid Response:
No excess of stroke with risperidona in a Primary Care area
In May 2004, the Spanish Committee on Drugs Safety of Medicines
advised that risperidone should not be used for long periods in elderly
patients suffering from dementia.
We conducted a retrospective study of clinical records of demented
patients over 64 in an urban area (44.800 people, 181 registered cases of
dementia) attached to a Primary Care Centre in Barcelona. We recorded
stroke rates, cardiovascular risk factors, type of dementia, and
demographic data from the whole181 community dwellers with dementia
registered from 1/1/1999 to 15/06/2004.
During the 6 years, we found 5 strokes among the 17 patients on
haloperidol (29, 4%), and 28 cerebrovascular accident among 87 patients
having risperidone (32, 2%). Out of the 61 demented patients untreated 11
(18%) had a stroke. No significant differences were found (p=0, 15). The
groups were similar except for an excess of diabetic patients in the
risperidone group (33% vs. 5, 9%, p=0.021). The average time running on
antipsychotic drugs was 1, 5±1, 6 years without differences within both
drugs. (p=0.33)
We recognize our population is small but the resemblance of risperidona
risk and benefit ratio remains unclear in Primary Care.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests