title: Use of clozapine in older Asian patients with schizophrenia between 2001 and 2009.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To date there has been no large-scale international study that examined the use of clozapine in older patients with schizophrenia. This study examined the use of clozapine and its demographic and clinical correlates in older patients with schizophrenia in East Asia during the period between 2001 and 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on 1,157 hospitalized patients with schizophrenia aged 50 or older in five East Asian countries and territories (China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan) was extracted from the database of the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Patterns (REAP) project. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and prescription of psychotropic medications were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clozapine was prescribed for 20.6% of the pooled sample; 19.0% in 2001, 19.4% in 2004 and 22.9% in 2009. Multiple logistic regression analysis of the whole sample revealed that patients taking clozapine had a longer duration of illness, more negative symptoms and were less likely to receive first generation antipsychotic and anticholinergic drugs, but more likely to report weight gain compared to those not receiving clozapine. Compared to those in other sites, older patients in China were more likely to receive clozapine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prescription of clozapine for older Asian schizophrenia inpatients has remained at a stable level during the past decade. The appropriateness of use of clozapine in China needs to be further explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China ; Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. xyutly@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yu-Tao
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.forename: Gabor S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ungvari
authors.forename: Helen F K
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Kelly Y C
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: You-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tian-Mei
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Si
authors.forename: Chuan-Yue
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Edwin H M
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yan-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shu-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Mian-Yoon
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Ee-Heok
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kua
authors.forename: Senta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: Michael K H
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Jitendra K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.forename: Eun-Kee
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Pichet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Udomratn
authors.forename: Kok-Yoon
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chee
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sartorius
authors.forename: Chay-Hoon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Naotaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shinfuku
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003024:Clozapine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003024:Clozapine