All-cause mortality in older adults with affective disorders and dementia under treatment with antipsychotic drugs: A matched-cohort study

Abstract

We aimed to compare the mortality risk between patients with affective disorders and dementia under treatment with antipsychotics. To do this, a matched-cohort study based on an electronic database of a tertiary teaching hospital in Argentina was performed. Antipsychotic exposure was defined as any antipsychotic drug initiated by the patient. Primary outcome was defined as all-cause mortality during the 5-year follow-up period. To estimate the association between baseline diagnosis (affective disorders vs. dementia) and all-cause mortality, we used a multivariate generalized linear model with robust standard errors. Of 1008 eligible patients, 114 age-matched pairs were included in the present study. The primary event occurred in 23 patients (20%) and 17 patients (15%) in the dementia and affective disorder group respectively. In the adjusted model, the risk of all cause mortality for the affective disorders group was 0.92 times the risk for the dementia group (95%CI, 0.54-1.59, p = 0.77). In conclusion, older patients with affective disorders starting antipsychotic treatment presented with a similar risk of all-cause mortality during the 5-year follow-up when compared to older patients with dementia who were also initiating either typical or atypical antipsychotic medications. Closer medical attention to older patients with mental conditions under antipsychotic treatment remains warranted.

Keywords: Antipsychotic agents; Cohort study; Mental health; Older adults; Pharmacoepidemiology.