title: Drug safety evaluation of ziprasidone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ziprasidone is a second-generation antipsychotic approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The purpose of this review is to assess the overall safety profile of ziprasidone, including its risk for prolonging the electrocardiogram (ECG) QT interval.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper is a review of product labeling and English language reports located through PubMed and information available on regulatory agency websites, with a focus on the safety and tolerability of ziprasidone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although ziprasidone can prolong the ECG QT interval, this has not resulted in increases in sudden death or cardiac sudden death as noted in a large, simple trial and supported by almost a decade of real-world use in the US. Ziprasidone's principal advantage over some other second-generation antipsychotics has been its overall favorable weight and metabolic profile. Similar to most second-generation antipsychotics, ziprasidone has a lower propensity for extrapyramidal side effects and hyperprolactinemia compared to first-generation antipsychotics.
authors.affiliation: New York University School of Medicine, 11 Medical Park Drive, Suite 106, Pomona, NY 10970, USA. nntman@gmail.com
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Citrome
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D010879:Piperazines; D013844:Thiazoles; C092292:ziprasidone