Trazodone Linked to Lower Risks for Delirium-Related Symptoms in Seniors

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For older adults with delirium-related symptoms after hospital admission, trazodone is associated with reduced risks for rehospitalization and all-cause mortality compared with atypical antipsychotic medications, according to a study published in the December issue of The Lancet Healthy Longevity.

Chun-Ting Yang, Ph.D., from Brigham and Women”s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues conducted a population-based cohort study to compare safety outcomes for patients aged at least 65 years without psychiatric disorders who were prescribed a new trazodone or atypical antipsychotic medication within 30 days of hospital discharge with a claims-based delirium diagnosis. The analyses included 11,678 and 29,590 trazodone and atypical antipsychotic medication users, respectively, who were propensity score-matched.

The researchers found that trazodone was associated with lower risks for rehospitalization, rehospitalization for delirium, urinary tract infection, and all-cause mortality compared with antipsychotic medications. Risks for falls, pneumonia, and stroke did not differ significantly between the groups. The reduced risk for rehospitalization with trazodone was significant compared with risperidone and olanzapine, but not compared with quetiapine.

“The lower risk of rehospitalization among patients treated with trazodone may be related to fewer hospital admissions for delirium and urinary tract infections,” coauthor Dae Hyun Kim, M.D., Sc.D., from Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, said in a statement. “By contrast, prior research has shown that antipsychotic medications are associated with greater cognitive decline and can affect the urinary system in ways that may raise the risk of urinary retention, incontinence, and infections.”

Two authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text