In April 2005, a warning was issued by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to inform health
professionals about the results of a pooled analysis of 17
randomized clinical trials reporting a 1.7 times increased
risk of all-cause mortality associated with atypical antipsychotic
use in elderly patients with dementia [6]. Pneumonia
was one of the most frequently reported causes of death.
The FDA stated that at that point, an increased risk could
not be excluded for typical antipsychotic drugs. In June
2008, the FDA extended the warning about the increased
risk for all-cause mortality in elderly patients with dementia
to typical antipsychotic drugs