Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Protection of H9c2 Myocardial Cells from Oxidative Stress by Crocetin via PINK1/Parkin Pathway-Mediated Mitophagy
07:40

Protection of H9c2 Myocardial Cells from Oxidative Stress by Crocetin via PINK1/Parkin Pathway-Mediated Mitophagy

Published on: May 26, 2023

The association between antipsychotic agents and the risk of myocardial infarction: a systematic review

Ruth Brauer1, Ian Douglas, Liam Smeeth

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK. ruth.brauer@lshtm.ac.uk

British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
|June 18, 2011
PubMed

Insights

This review examined antipsychotic agents and myocardial infarction risk. The largest study found no association between antipsychotic use and increased heart attack risk in adults.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Patients on antipsychotic agents exhibit elevated cardiovascular mortality.
  • Mental illness is linked to factors increasing myocardial infarction risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the association between antipsychotic agent use and myocardial infarction incidence in adults.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of studies on antipsychotic agents with myocardial infarction as an outcome.
  • Inclusion of adult subjects prescribed antipsychotic agents.

Main Results:

  • Four studies suggested a link between typical antipsychotics and myocardial infarction risk.
  • The largest, most valid study found no association for atypical or typical antipsychotics (RR 0.98-0.99).

Conclusions:

  • Heterogeneity in studies yielded inconclusive results on antipsychotics and myocardial infarction.
  • The most robust study indicated no increased myocardial infarction risk with antipsychotic use.
Abstract

Related Concept Videos

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents01:23

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...
Antipsychotic Drugs: Typical and Atypical Agents01:21

Antipsychotic Drugs: Typical and Atypical Agents

Antipsychotic drugs are classified into first-generation (typical) drugs including phenothiazines; and second-generation (atypical) drugs. Chlorpromazine hydrochloride (Thorazine), a phenothiazine derivative, broadly impacts the central, autonomic, and endocrine systems. This drug, along with typical agents like haloperidol (Haldol), primarily works by antagonizing D2 receptors, thus reducing dopaminergic neurotransmission. However, typical antipsychotics can cause side effects such as sedation...
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview01:28

Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview

The term "psychosis" refers to a spectrum of mental disorders characterized by abnormal thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors. It can manifest as mood disorders, dementia, delirium with psychotic features, substance-induced psychosis with psychotic features, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. Among all these disorders, schizophrenia is the most common psychotic disorder, affecting 1% of the worldwide population. Psychotic symptoms in all...
Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class I Agents as Sodium Channel Blockers01:22

Antiarrhythmic Drugs: Class I Agents as Sodium Channel Blockers

Class I antiarrhythmic drugs are used to treat various types of arrhythmias or irregular heart rhythms. These drugs block the sodium (Na+) channels in the cardiac cells, thereby affecting the movement of electrical impulses across the heart. Class I antiarrhythmic drugs are divided into three subgroups: Class IA, Class IB, and Class IC, each with distinct mechanisms of action and effects on the heart.
Class 1A Antiarrhythmic Drugs: These drugs work by moderately blocking sodium channels,...
Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System01:26

Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System

The activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) contributes to cardiac remodeling, and inhibiting the RAAS is a pharmacological target in heart failure management. As a result, neurohumoral modulation is a crucial treatment principle for managing heart failure. This approach involves using medications like ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and neutral...
Mania and Antimanic Drugs: Overview01:24

Mania and Antimanic Drugs: Overview

Mania, a psychological condition characterized by elevated mood, increased energy, and reduced sleep need, is part of the bipolar disorder cycle. The exact cause of mania isn't entirely known, but it is thought to be a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. Bipolar disorder involves alternating manic and depressive episodes. Mood stabilizers like lithium, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants help manage these episodes. Lithium carbonate is particularly effective as a...