A surprising result on antipsychotic polypharmacy

Antipsychotic polypharmacy and risk of death from natural causes in
patients with schizophrenia: a population-based nested case-control study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19895781

The paper's author knows how to write a catchy title.

It's surprising because the risk factors should increase with two
chemicals messing up the body and brain. There should be more liver
damage with more crap for the liver to process. Polypharmacy usually
arises when monotherapy doesn't work. More neuotransmitters sites are
targeted or there's more of an effect.

But the evidence in this study is different from what I'd expect. The
problem is I've read a few studies now. I've read the sort of studies
that show there's little or no risk from high dose antipsychotics, then
when the Royal College of Psychiatry get together and do a consensus
statement on the issue it turns out there is a risk.

In somewhat smaller text and with less confidence the authors note
"
The detected increased risk of death associated with benzodiazepines
with long elimination half-lives calls for further clarification.
"

I can bet the next research will be to confirm the possibility of using
antipsychotic polypharmcy rather than study the risks associated with
antipsychotics and benzodiazapines.