Key result
Antipsychotic prescriptions reach up to ~8 per 1000 person-years, with high torsadogenic drug use in elderly.
Why the study?
Antipsychotic drugs have known torsadogenic potential leading to QT prolongation, TdP, and sudden cardiac death, but their use patterns in Europe were not well characterized.
Population
27 million individuals from seven healthcare databases in five European countries
Comparison
Use of antipsychotic drugs with and without torsadogenic potential
Design
Population-based cohort study using prescription/dispensing data
Follow-up
1996-2010
Authors
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May prompt ECG vigilance with torsadogenic antipsychotics in elderly; leaves open need for prospective arrhythmia outcome studies.
Cohort (n=27,000,000)
Yes
Despite known risks of QT prolongation and sudden cardiac death, torsadogenic antipsychotic drugs continued to be substantially prescribed in Europe between 1996 and 2010, especially to high-risk elderly patients.
Oteri et al. (2016) conducted a cohort in Mental illnesses (n=27,000,000). Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) was evaluated on Annual prescription rate of APDs. The crude annual prescription rate of antipsychotic drugs ranged from 3.0 to 7.7 per 1000 person-years, with substantial use of torsadogenic agents observed, particularly among elderly patients.
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