Cardiac safety parameters of olanzapine: comparison with other atypical and typical antipsychotics
Czekalla, J.; Kollack-Walker, S.; Beasley, C.M.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 62(Suppl): 35-40
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0160-6689 PMID: 11232751 Document Number: 526905
Alterations of electrocardiogram results and cases of sudden cardiac death have been reported since the beginning of neuroleptic treatment. In particular, a temporal association exists between some antipsychotics and prolongation of the heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc), an event that may increase the risk for developing a potentially fatal ventricular tachycardia arrhythmia known as torsades de pointes if it significantly exceeds normal intraindividual and interindividual variation. Although the incidence of serious adverse cardiac events in response to antipsychotic medications is relatively low, any possibility for the occurrence of cardiotoxicity warrants continued study. The present article reviews important differences among antipsychotic drugs in the potential for, and occurrence of, serious adverse cardiac outcomes and suggests that olanzapine, as therapeutically administered to patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses, does not contribute significantly to a QTc prolongation that could result in potentially fatal ventricular arrhythmias.