Seroquel (Quetiapine) and the Risk of Cerebrovascular Adverse Events
Seroquel medication is an approved medicine for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia medication. However, Seroquel drug is not approved for treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis. Since its approval in 1997, SEROQUEL has had over 8 million patient exposures worldwide.
The results of a safety investigation, which assessed the risk of cerebrovascular adverse events (CVAEs) in elderly patients taking Seroquel 100 mg, were presented by Lon S. Schneider, M.D., professor of psychiatry, neurology, and gerontology, at the University of Southern California. The professor suggested that Quetiapine drug did not increase the risk of CVAEs. And CVAEs are a side effect that has been associated with the use of some other atypical antipsychotic drugs.
These data were initially presented at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders in Philadelphia in July 2004 and also were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP).
In fact, the data include the information from two 10-week placebo- controlled trials that scrutinezed generic Seroquel in elderly patients with dementia. A total of 684 elderly patients were involved and they were randomized to receive Quetiapine drug, haloperidol or placebo. The CVAE analysis showed that Quetiapine medication was not significantly different than placebo.
Mr. Lon S. Schneider, M.D., professor of psychiatry, neurology, and gerontology, at the University of Southern California is convinced that the results are potentially significant for the dementia population. And he points out that generic Seroquel needs to be further investigated in clinical trials to assess its effectiveness and safety.
Prescribing or taking Quetiapine drug one should take into consideration some common side effects. Firstly, tardive dyskinesia or neuroleptic malignant syndrome has been reported with the class of meds, including Quetiapine medication. So, patients should be periodically reassessed in the need for continued treatment. Secondly, it has been known that hyperglycemia can appear in treating with such atypical antipsychotics as Seroquel drug. In this case patients who have or are at risk for diabetes and those who develop symptoms of hyperglycemia should undergo fasting blood glucose testing.
In addition, clinical trials revealed the following common adverse events associated with Seroquel 200 mg treatment: dizziness, constipation, somnolence, dry mouth, asthenia, postural hypotension, abdominal pain, SGPT increase, weight gain, dyspepsia and pharyngitis.
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