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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Where is the beef ? - Popular drug for Bipolar
Patients never tested right