Risperidone May Lower Risk of Falls

A study presented at the Eleventh International Congress of the International Psychogeriatric Association showed that risperidone (Risperdal) 1 mg/day reduced the risk of falls in ambulatory patients with dementia. Data from 537 patients in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week, multicenter study of three doses of risperidone (0.5 mg, 1 mg and 2 mg) were included.

During the trial, 109 patients (20.3%) fell. There was a statistically significantly lower fall rate for the patients taking 1 mg of risperidone than for patients taking placebo (12.7% versus 22.3%, p=0.04).

Behavioral symptoms were assessed with the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease (BEHAVE-AD) scale; only wandering was associated with an increased rate of falls. Eighty-three (21.1%) of the 393 patients with a baseline wandering score of >0 fell--EAD