An extensive review of studies on the treatment efficacy of the drug Aripiprazole, a second-generation antipsychotic medication used en masse for bipolar disorder, yielded shocking results. The drug, approved by FDA, has been prescribed as a matter of course by psychiatrists as a maintenance treatment for bipolar patients, resulting in significant sale volume for the drug company. The review, led by Harvard's Dr. A.Tsai and researchers from US, Australia and the UK, found only ONE single study that could be considered minimally scientific - use of randomized control groups, double-blind, etc. However, even this one study had limitations -- short treatment duration, abrupt termination of medication, patient dropout, etc. So the results for this one and only study were far from definitive and the intended treatment benefits have not been demonstrated.

Yet the study has been viewed as support for the use of Aripiprazole. The authors concluded, "Although careful review identifies four critical limitations to the trial's interpretation and overall utility, the trial has been uncritically cited in the subsequent scientific literature." So beware and be critical next time a very popular drug is prescribed.

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