Physicians sometimes use antipsychotic medications to manage behavioral problems in patients with dementia. In 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered warning labels for a group of drugs called atypical antipsychotics, such as Zyprexa and Risperdal, because studies showed an increased risk of heart attack and pneumonia in patients with dementia who were treated with atypical antipsychotics. Now, the FDA is also requiring a black box warning for conventional antipsychotics, such as Haldol and Thorazine, because they have been linked to an increased risk for death in elderly patients treated for dementia-related behavioral problems.

It's important to note that this new warning is not a contraindication - which means that physicians still have the option of using these drugs to treat behavioral aspects of dementia. So, dementia patients, their families, and their caregivers should be aware of this risk, and they may want to discuss this risk with their health care professionals.