Wednesday, September 17, 2003

Study Links Older Bipolar Drug to Fewer Suicides
New York Times feature story - "Lithium, an old and inexpensive drug that has fallen out of favor with many psychiatrists, is better than the most commonly prescribed drug, Depakote, at preventing suicide in people who have manic-depressive illness, researchers are reporting. ... The new study, published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association, found that patients taking Depakote were 2.7 times as likely to kill themselves as those taking lithium. Earlier studies by others had also found that lithium could prevent suicide, but today's report is the first to compare suicide and attempted suicide rates in lithium and Depakote users. The study was based on medical records of 20,638 patients aged 14 and older in Washington State and California who were treated from 1994 to 2001." [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

New Antipsychotic Appears Safe and Effective for Acute Bipolar Mania
Reuters Health story at Medscape - "Aripiprazole, a novel antipsychotic agent, seems to be a safe, effective, and well-tolerated treatment for the acute manic or mixed episodes of bipolar disorder, according to a report published in the September issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. Although lithium, divalproex sodium, and olanzapine are known to be effective treatments for acute mania, nonresponse rates with each can be as high as 50%, lead author Dr. Paul E. Keck and colleagues, from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, note." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].