Drug study-psych meds increase heart attacks!

January 16, 2009
5:16 pm

Justice Seeker

Heather L. Ryan, R.N., C.L.N.C- Heather Ryan is a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant with 15 years of experience in the health care industry. Her expertise in reviewing medical records and assisting lawyers with the determination as to whether legal action should be taken provides an invaluable asset to the newsroom. Medical-malpractice, products liability, personal injury and workers’ compensation are some of the recent areas of litigation Ms. Ryan has focused her efforts on. A member of the Florida Justice Association, Heather maintains a long list of certifications and credentials to support her areas of expertise and stays up-to-date with her clinical knowledge working as an emergency room/trauma nurse, at a Level 1, Adult/Pediatric trauma and teaching institution in South Florida.

Drug study-psych meds increase heart attacks!

New England Medical Journal says new psych drugs are not safer.

New York, NY (JusticeNewsFlash.com)–Bloomberg reported today, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study this week saying new psych medications increase patient’s risk of heart attacks. The study shows the newer class of anti-psychotic medications double the risk for sudden cardiac death. The newer medications, known as atypicals, include Zypexa, manufactured by Eli Lilly & Co. and Risperdal, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. The risk of heart attack for people taking these antipsychotic medications further increases with the dosing.

Big pharmaceutical companies made these drugs and released them in the mid-1990’s, in response to concerns about serious risks involved with taking older medications like Haldol and Thorazine. The drug companies claimed the new antipsychotics (atypicals) were safer for patients and had fewer side effects. The journal’s recently published study along with studies in the past few years reflect differently. These drugs have also been linked to increased risks of obesity and diabetes. With $20.7 billion in global sales, these newer drugs have become the 6th best-selling class of drugs in the world.

The real concern among most medical and legal experts is fewer than half of all prescriptions, for the newer drugs, are for patients suffering from a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia. These atypical medications are being prescribed for off-label uses in children and the elderly. Children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and elderly patients suffering from agitation with dementia are also prescribed these drugs by their doctors. Psychiatrists are also prescribing these medications for patients suffering from bipolar disease, a mood disorder.

When these medications became available, by prescription from medical doctors, approximately 15 years ago, they were marketed by big pharmaceutical companies as safer and gentler. Atypical antipsychotics have been specifically marketed as safer than the older drugs known to increase health risks.

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