Effect of Bifidobacterium on olanzapine-induced body weight and appetite changes in patients with psychosis.

Abstract

Gut microbiota plays an important role in host metabolism. Antipsychotic drugs can result in metabolic abnormalities. Probiotics may ameliorate the antipsychotic drug-induced metabolic abnormalities by regulating gut microbiota. To determine whether Bifidobacterium intervention can ameliorate olanzapine-induced weight increase. Enrolled patients were assigned to either the olanzapine or olanzapine plus Bifidobacterium group. The following were assessed: body weight, body mass index (BMI), appetite, latency to increased appetite, and baseline weight increase of more than 7%. All assessments were conducted at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12weeks of treatment. We enrolled 70 patients with schizophrenia or schizophrenic affective disorder, and 67 completed the study. Treatment for 4weeks led to between-group differences in weight change (2.4 vs. 1.1kg, p < 0.05) and BMI (0.9 vs. 0.4, p < 0.05). However, this difference disappeared at 8 and 12weeks of treatment (both p > 0.05). The two groups did not differ in appetite increase at any time point (p > 0.05). The mean time from olanzapine initiation to appetite increase was also not significantly different between the two groups (t = 1.243, p = 0.220). Probiotics may mitigate olanzapine-induced weight gain in the early stage of treatment and delay olanzapine-induced appetite increase.