NEW YORK, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Drugs most often used in response to aggressive outbursts among people with low IQs are no more effective than placebos in most cases, a British study found.
In a study published Friday in the journal Lancet, researchers said two drugs -- Risperdal and Haldol -- offered no benefits in comparison with placebos in tests of 86 subjects in England, Wales and Australia, The New York Times reported.
The finding challenges accepted medical practice in the United States and around the world, the newspaper said.
The so-called anti-psychotic drugs were developed to treat schizophrenia. In recent years, they have been widely used to treat people displaying aggressive outbursts associated with attention-deficit problems, depression and Alzheimer's disease.
The study tracked the subjects for more than a month, and found a 79 percent reduction in aggressive behavior among those taking placebos -- compared with a drop of 65 percent or less among those taking the anti-psychotic drugs, the newspaper said.
Although the tests focused on Risperdal and Haldol, the researchers said the results almost certainly applied to all similar medications -- which account for more than $10 billion in annual sales -- the Times reported.
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