Falls and Fractures With Atypical Antipsychotic Medication Use

Discussion | In this study of health care utilization data, use of amiodarone but not of other antiarrhythmic drugs was associated with a 50% increased odds of acute pancreatitis among patients with NVAF. The odds were almost doubled in the 12 months after amiodarone therapy initiation and did not depend on cumulative use of amiodarone. Considering an incidence of acute pancreatitis of 3 to 4 cases per 10 000 adults per year,4 the observed association would result in approximately 1 to 2 additional cases of acute pancreatitis per 10 000 amiodarone users per year. A few isolated case reports of acute pancreatitis possibly linked to amiodarone use have been described in the literature.1-3 The mechanisms responsible for this association are unknown, although direct cytotoxicity or immune-mediated pathways, as described for amiodarone-related pulmonary toxic effects, could be potential explanations.5 Strengths of our study include the prospective assessment of medication use, the large sample size, and the availability of information on comorbidities and use of other medications potentially associated with increased risk of acute pancreatitis. Limitations are related to the use of health care utilization data: limited information on the validity of claims for acute pancreatitis, absence of clinical variables that characterize severity of the episode (eg, blood markers of acute pancreatitis), and the select group of patients included in this database. Our results indicate that acute pancreatitis could be an adverse effect of amiodarone use, an effect that may not be shared by other antiarrhythmic drugs. Even though the absolute risk of acute pancreatitis in the general population is low, health care professionals should be aware of this potential association in the treatment of patients with NVAF or acute pancreatitis. Further research should replicate our findings and determine potential mechanisms.