Venous Thromboembolism Among Elderly Patients Treated With Atypical and Conventional Antipsychotic Agents

Abstract
A possible association between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and the use of antipsychotic agents was first suggested in the 1950s after the introduction of phenothiazines.1 Since then, several case studies2-4 have supported the notion of an increased risk of VTE with conventional antipsychotic agents. Recently, Zornberg and Jick5 documented a 7-fold increase in the risk of idiopathic VTE among users of conventional antipsychotic agents who were younger than 60 years and free of major risk factors. A similar thromboembolic effect of conventional antipsychotic agents has been observed also among individuals with risk factors for VTE.6