How does the ‘black box warning’ on atypical antipsychotic medications relate to LBD?
According to the FDA, “in analyses of seventeen placebo-controlled studies of four drugs in this class (atypical antipsychotics), the rate of death for those elderly patients with dementia was about 1.6 to 1.7 times that of placebo. Although the causes of death were varied, most seemed to be either heart-related (such as heart failure or sudden death) or from infections (pneumonia).” The FDA’s ‘black box warning’ indicates these drugs are not approved for the treatment of behavioral symptoms in elderly patients with dementia. Physicians should discuss the risks and benefits of these types of medications, so that LBD patients and caregivers can consider issues of quality of life against the risks associated with these medications.
