HKU Study Finds Long-Acting Antipsychotic Injections Reduce Relapse Rates in Bipolar and Elderly Schizophrenia Patients
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago3 MIN
Summary
Researchers from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine have demonstrated that long-acting injectable antipsychotics significantly outperform oral medications in treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients. A large-scale study analyzing Hong Kong's territory-wide electronic health records found that elderly schizophrenia patients experienced a 29% reduction in relapse-related hospitalizations and a 77% decrease in all-cause mortality when using long-acting injections. The research team identified 4,696 elderly schizophrenia patients and 2,086 bipolar disorder patients from the Hospital Authority's database for comparison. The findings, published in two leading psychiatric journals, also revealed that earlier intervention with long-acting injectables leads to better clinical outcomes for both patient groups.
Key Points
- The HKU research team analyzed 4,696 elderly schizophrenia patients and 2,086 bipolar disorder patients using the Hospital Authority's territory-wide Electronic Health Record database
- Long-acting injectable antipsychotics reduced schizophrenia-related hospitalization by 29% and all-cause mortality by 77% compared to oral medications in patients aged 65 and above
- For bipolar disorder patients, long-acting injections lowered psychiatric-related hospitalization rates by 33% without increasing non-psychiatric or cardiovascular hospitalization risks
- The study found no significant differences in serious adverse reactions between the two treatment groups, including cardiovascular disease hospitalization, acute liver injury, and acute kidney injury
- First-generation long-acting injectables increased the risk of extrapyramidal symptoms, though the risk became comparable to oral medications after 90 days of treatment
- Patients who started long-acting injectable treatment within two years of their initial schizophrenia or bipolar disorder diagnosis showed fewer hospitalizations and fewer clinical complications
- The research results were published in The Lancet Psychiatry and The American Journal of Psychiatry, two internationally recognized psychiatric medical journals
Why It Matters
With approximately 1% of Hong Kong's population affected by schizophrenia, medication adherence remains a critical challenge in psychiatric treatment, as patients with severe mental illness often struggle to maintain consistent medication schedules, increasing their risk of relapse . These findings provide robust local evidence supporting the wider adoption of long-acting injectable antipsychotics in Hong Kong's public healthcare system, potentially reducing the burden on psychiatric services while improving patient outcomes and quality of life .
With approximately 1% of Hong Kong's population affected by schizophrenia, medication adherence remains a critical challenge in psychiatric treatment, as patients with severe mental illness often struggle to maintain consistent medication schedules, increasing their risk of relapse . These findings provide robust local evidence supporting the wider adoption of long-acting injectable antipsychotics in Hong Kong's public healthcare system, potentially reducing the burden on psychiatric services while improving patient outcomes and quality of life .