Second‐generation antipsychotics and VTE risk

Abstract

It has been known for some time that antipsychotic medications are associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) though mechanism of action has not yet been elucidated. 1 First-generation low-potency antipsychotics as well as secondgeneration antipsychotics have been associated with VTE. 2,3 However, it is not known if there are certain antipsychotics that are more associated with VTE than others, 4 and with over 26 million prescriptions of olanzapine, risperidone, aripiprazole, and quetiapine combined in 2020 the importance of identifying such an association, if it exists, is essential. To explore this, a safety analysis was conducted of six second-generation antipsychotics using the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS), a database containing medication adverse events reported by healthcare professionals, consumers, and manufacturers to the FDA and designed to support postmarketing safety surveillance. 5