Background Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advisory stating
that atypical antipsychotic medications increase mortality among elderly patients. However,
the advisory did not apply to conventional antipsychotic medications; the risk of death with
these older agents is not known. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study
involving 22,890 patients 65 years of age or older who had drug insurance benefits in
Pennsylvania and who began receiving a conventional or atypical antipsychotic medication …

In April 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that atypical
(second-generation) antipsychotics pose an increased risk of death in elderly patients. As a
result, there is a growing concern that providers will choose to prescribe traditional, first-
generation antipsychotics in this population, despite the absence of data on the mortality
associated with these drugs. Wang and colleagues attempted to address this issue by
examining 22 890 patients aged 65 years and older who received atypical or traditional …