Dementia drug risk amongst people with diabetes

According to diabetes news reports today, a new type of drug used to treat dementia amongst elderly patients could have an adverse affect on people with diabetes . The report shows that those older people with diabetes faced a greater likelihood of hospitalisation for raised blood sugar levels following treatment with some antipsychotic drugs .
Antipsychotics are reportedly prescribed often to the elderly, for cases of dementia and other behavioural problems. Unfortunately, these drugs often include risks such as stroke and diabetes.
The study, which was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that those taking the drugs were almost one and a half times as likely to be hospitalised for hyperglycaemia.
Lorraine Lipscombe was reported as commenting: “In the meantime, other options to manage behavioral symptoms of dementia should be considered among older persons with diabetes .”