Patients with Alzheimer's disease who are prescribed antipsychotic drugs face an elevated risk of death, scientists have warned.
A study funded by the Alzheimer's Research Trust found that the drugs - which are often used to treat agitation, delusions and aggressive behaviour - nearly doubled the risk of death over a three-year period.
The research looked at 165 patients, half of whom took antipsychotics while the remainder received a placebo (dummy pill).
Experts at King's College London found that less than a third of patients who took antipsychotics were alive after three years, compared with nearly two thirds of patients who received the placebo.
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, commented: 'The findings of this research are a real wake-up call and underline the danger of prescribing antipsychotics long-term for anything other than exceptional circumstances.'
Ms Wood noted that the findings also highlight the need for new treatments to be developed as there are currently few options available for patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Around 417,000 people in the UK are affected by Alzheimer's disease, a progressive disease that attacks the brain.