| The purpose of this study was to investigate the metabolic effects of different antipsychotic (atypical and conventional) drugs, and to elucidate the relationships between psychiatric disorders and diabetes. The research was a prospective incidence study of metabolic parameters (plasma glucose, insulin, lipids, and uric acid, together with weight and blood pressure) in subjects with schizophrenia being treated with antipsychotic monotherapy for at least 3 months. Demographic information and treatment history were obtained together with laboratory and physical assessments from subjects receiving psychiatric care in outpatient and inpatient programs of Alberta Hospital Edmonton. Clozapine and olanzapine were associated with greater body weight, as well as more adverse changes in insulin, glucose and lipid regulation than risperidone and conventional antipsychotics. These differential liabilities may be significant in the presence of pre-existing factors for diabetes mellitus. It is recommended that blood pressure and weight should be routinely monitored, with fasting lipid profile and oral glucose tolerance test also suggested, in at-risk subjects. |
