HomeLifestyleHealth & FitnessDementia Drug: Mirtazapine is no more than a placebo, may increase death...

Dementia Drug: Mirtazapine is no more than a placebo, may increase death risk

Published on

A new study, published by the University of Plymouth’s researchers in The Lancet, found that antidepressant mirtazapine didn’t show any positive results for people suffering from dementia.

Agitation is a common dementia symptom that is characterized by inappropriate verbal, vocal, or motor activity, as well as physical and verbal violence. Non-drug patient-centered care should be tried initially, but if this does not work, physicians may resort to a drug-based option.

Mirtazapine has been commonly recommended since antipsychotics have been shown to increase death rates in patients with dementia, as well as other negative consequences. This study was meant to add to the body of evidence surrounding its efficacy.

The study, sponsored by the National for Health Research (NIHR), enrolled 204 adults with probable or suspected Alzheimer’s disease from 20 sites across the UK, randomly assigning half to mirtazapine and the other half to placebo. The trial was conducted in a double-blind style, which means that neither the researcher nor the research subjects knew what they were taking.

The results showed that the mirtazapine group had no less agitation than the control group after 12 weeks.

There were also seven additional deaths in the mirtazapine group (compared to one in the control group) by week 16, with analysis indicating that this was of marginal statistical significance.

Source: The Lancet

Image Credit: Getty

You were reading: Dementia Drug: Mirtazapine is no more than a placebo, may increase death risk

Latest articles

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...

Science Shock: Salmon’s Food Choices Better at Reducing Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

Salmon: Rich in Health Benefits, Yet May Offer Less Nutritional Value - This is...

More like this

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...