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People who take antipsychotic drugs, even those who are young and otherwise
healthy, face an increased risk for potentially fatal blood clots, researchers
report, extending previous findings to encompass a wider range of medications
for schizophrenia, manic-depressive disorder, dementia, autism, and other
brain disorders.
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Researchers looked at nearly 30,000 patients on antipsychotic drugs
over the course of 7 years.
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Patients younger than 60 who had no risk factors for blood clots,
such as heart disease or diabetes.
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They found that these
patients were 7 times more likely to develop blood clots known as
venous thromboembolisms than drug-free study participants.
- The risk was greatest during patients' first 3 months on the drugs.
Lead researcher Dr. Gwen L. Zornberg of Boston University School of
Medicine in Lexington, Massachusetts, said in an interview with Reuters
Health, that doctors have been noting for decades that antipsychotic drugs
seem to trigger blood clots in some patients.
"What's fascinating," she said, "is that this was very
well-studied from the 1960s until 1984...then for some reason it just
fell through the cracks."
Research on the link between the drugs and blood clots has been hindered
by the fact that study patients have often had other risk factors for
venous thromboembolism. To avoid this problem, Zornberg's team focused
on patients younger than 60 who had no risk factors for blood clots, such
as heart disease or diabetes.
Dr. Zornberg notes that these clots might be prevented by something
as simple as exercise or some type of physical activity.
She also notes that, despite accumulating evidence, blood clots are not
listed as a potential side effect of antipsychotic drugs.
The Lancet October 7, 2000;356:1219-1223.
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