title: Neuroleptics and mortality in schizophrenia: prospective analysis of deaths in a French cohort of schizophrenic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The putative role of neuroleptics in the known excess mortality of subjects with schizophrenia remains disputed. The aim of this study was to assess the link between mortality and the class of neuroleptic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Causes of death (suicide, cardiovascular, etc.) and exposure to neuroleptics were studied in a cohort of 3474 patients with schizophrenia followed from 1993 to 1997.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 1993 to 1997, 178 patients died. The risk of all-cause death (OR=1.59; 95% CI 1.02-2.50; p=0.04), and suicide (OR=2.22; 95% CI 1.24-3.97; p=0.006) were increased in users of thioxanthenes (alone or associated with other drugs), and increased risk of "other causes" of death was associated with use of atypical neuroleptics (OR=2.06; 95% CI 1.15-3.70; p=0.0016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest the existence of association between certain classes of neuroleptics and death, all cause or specific. This could be related to the drug itself or to patient selection.
authors.affiliation: Département de Pharmacologie, Université Victor Segalen-Bordeaux 2, 33076, Bordeaux, France
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montout
authors.forename: Francoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casadebaig
authors.forename: Rajaa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lagnaoui
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Verdoux
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Philippe
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Begaud
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000145:classification; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013892:Thioxanthenes / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D013892:Thioxanthenes