Effect of Second Generation Antipsychotics on the Metabolic Syndrome Parameters in Patients with Schizophrenia

Abstract

Purpose: Metabolic syndrome is a focus of attention in the application of second generation antipsychotics, which has been regarded as a risk factor of Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and may raise the incidence of coronary heart disease and stroke by a factor of three. This study aims to explore the effect of second generation antipsychotics on the occurrence of the metabolic syndrome of Taiwanese patients. Method: A total of 41 schizophrenic patients without personal and family history of diabetes were recruited and they were treated with the second generation antipsychotics. An examination including biochemical status, blood, waistline and body weight was given to them and a judgment of metabolic syndrome was executed according to the diagnosis principles of NCEP ATP III modified criteria for Asians before and one year after the treatment. The statistic method applied including means comparison and analysis of variance. Result: There were 6 metabolic syndrome patients found (14.6%) before treatment and the prevalence increased to 26.8% (11 of 41 patients) after one-year of treatment. No new diabetes patients were observed after taking the antipsychotics. Triglyceride values increased by an average of 37 mg/dl and presented a significant variance for all of the patients after taking the second generation antipsychotics. With regards to the individual drug, Clozapine and Olanzapine caused a significant variance in triglyceride values. Body weight of all patients increased in an average of 5.3 kg and exhibited a significant variance after taking the antipsychotics. With respect to individual drug, patients displayed a remarkable variance in body weight after taking Olanzapine. No significant variances exhibited for other items of drugs being examined. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that part of second generation antipsychotics could exert remarkable influences on body weight and triglyceride value. And patients after taking the antipsychotics presented a higher prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome than general Taiwanese and American adults.