New-onset diabetes mellitus and diabetic ketoacidosis associated with olanzapine treatment

Atypical antipsychotic drugs and diabetes mellitus in a large outpatient population: a retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

Previous research has suggested an association between use of atypical antipsychotics and onset of diabetes mellitus. We sought to compare the incidence of new onset diabetes among patients receiving atypical antipsychotics, traditional antipsychotics or antidepressants.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of outpatients with claims for atypical antipsychotics (n = 10 265) compared to controls with claims for traditional antipsychotics (n = 4607), antidepressants (n = 60 856) or antibiotics (n = 59 878) in the administrative claims database of a large pharmaceutical benefit manager between June 2000 and May 2002. Main outcome measures were adjusted and unadjusted incidence rates of diabetes (new cases per 1000 per year) in a 12-month period, as measured using new prescriptions for antidiabetic drugs after a 6-month lead-in period.

RESULTS

Annual unadjusted incidence rates of diabetes (new cases per 1000 per year) were 7.5 for atypical antipsychotics, 11.3 for traditional antipsychotics, 7.8 for antidepressants and 5.1 for antibiotics. In multivariable analyses, age, male sex and Chronic Disease Score were associated with greater odds of diabetes onset. There were no statistically significant differences in outcome between the atypical antipsychotic, traditional antipsychotic and antidepressant groups. Multivariable comparisons among specific agents showed increased odds of diabetes for clozapine, olanzapine, ziprasidone and thioridazine (relative to risperidone), but these comparisons did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

In a large prescription claims database, outpatients taking atypical antipsychotics did not have higher rates of diabetes onset, compared to subjects taking traditional antipsychotics or antidepressants.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in chronic schizophrenic inpatients in relation to long-term antipsychotic treatment

BACKGROUND

Many reports indicate that the incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increased in schizophrenic patients and related to antipsychotic treatment. In an exploratory cross-sectional study we assessed the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in 266 chronic schizophrenic and schizoaffective inpatients and investigated whether the duration of antipsychotic treatment was related to the development of diabetes mellitus.

METHOD

We measured the non-fasting plasma glucose level in 266 inpatients with DSM IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder in 5 different long-stay wards in the Netherlands. Measured variables were: age, sex, ethnicity, BMI, current antipsychotic treatment, duration of illness and duration of antipsychotic treatment.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was 9%, which is significantly higher than the prevalence of 4.9% in the general population (OR 1.89, CI 1.14-3.13; p<0.014). The prevalence was increased in two age cohorts: 30-39 years (3.8% vs. 0.3%, OR=13.29, CI=2.17-81.36, p=<0.005) and 40-49 years (9.3% vs. 1.5%, OR=6.74, CI=2.77-16.38, p=0.000). No new cases of diabetes mellitus were detected during the course of the study. The increased prevalence was found to be related to overweight and obesity. The time of exposure to antipsychotic treatment was not significantly correlated with the prevalence of diabetes mellitus when adjusted for age (F=0.804, df=1, p=0.371, respectively, F=0.194, df=1, p=0.660). Both typical and atypical antipsychotics contributed equally to the prevalence of diabetes mellitus.

CONCLUSION

No significant relation between long-term antipsychotic treatment and prevalence of diabetes mellitus was found. The high prevalence of diabetes mellitus in schizophrenic patients warrants screening of these patients already at young age for glucose disturbance.

Association between antipsychotic drugs and diabetes

The link between atypical antipsychotic drugs and the development of diabetes has been hotly debated in the literature. In this review, we attempt to classify the various types of data published and presented in a hierarchical basis. Case reports and retrospective pharmacoepidemiological studies suggest that both conventional and atypical antipsychotic medications are associated with an increased risk of glucose abnormalities or diabetes. Prospective data examining the relationship between atypical antipsychotic drugs and diabetes began to emerge in 2003 and are much less conclusive. Estimates of the attributable risk associated with atypical antipsychotic drugs are low. The few studies that have included a placebo group suggest that we cannot necessarily blame antipsychotic medication when diabetes develops in an individual with schizophrenia.

Emerging drugs for chemotherapy-induced emesis

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is associated with a significant deterioration in quality of life. The emetogenicity of the chemotherapeutic agents, repeated chemotherapy cycles and patient risk factors (female gender, younger age, no alcohol consumption, history of motion sickness) are the major risk factors for CINV. The use of 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists plus dexamethasone has significantly improved the control of acute CINV, but delayed nausea and vomiting remains a significant clinical problem. Two new agents, palonosetron and aprepitant, have recently been approved for the prevention of both acute and delayed CINV. Palonosetron is a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist with a longer half-life and a higher binding affinity than first-generation 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. Aprepitant is the first agent available in the new drug class of neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1) antagonists. There are a number of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists and NK-1 receptor antagonists currently in Phase II and III clinical trials. Revised antiemetic guidelines for the prevention of CINV are reviewed. Future studies may consider the use of palonosetron and aprepitant with current and other new agents (olanzapine, gabapentin) in moderately and highly emetogenic chemotherapy, as well as in the clinical settings of multiple-day chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation.

Treatment-refractory schizophrenia in children and adolescents: an update on clozapine and other pharmacologic interventions

Treatment-refractory early-onset schizophrenia is a rare but severe form of the disorder associated with poor premorbid function and long-term disability. The currently available evidence suggests that clozapine remains the most efficacious treatment for the amelioration of both positive and negative symptoms of the disorder and problematic aggressive behaviors. Clozapine use in children and adolescents, however, is limited by its association with hematologic adverse events and an increased frequency of seizure activity. Further studies are needed to examine the usefulness of antipsychotic combinations and of augmentation therapies to antipsychotic medications in order to treat persistent residual psychotic symptoms in children and adolescents who have schizophrenia and who have not responded to several sequential trials of antipsychotic monotherapy.

Diabetic ketoacidosis associated with aripiprazole

BACKGROUND

Atypical antipsychotics have become the mainstay of management of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders due to low risk of extrapyramidal symptoms. However, postmarketing data has reported atypical antipsychotic agents being associated with hyperglycaemia and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). We believe this to be the first published report of hyperglycaemia and DKA with the newest atypical antipsychotic agent, aripiprazole.

CASE REPORT

A 34-year-old African-American female with schizophrenia presented to the emergency department with nausea, vomiting, and malaise for 3-4 days shortly after initiation of aripiprazole therapy. Initial laboratory results revealed significant hyperglycaemia with metabolic acidosis. The patient received treatment for DKA with an intravenous insulin infusion and fluid replacement. Isophane insulin suspension (NPH insulin) was begun immediately following the insulin drip and continued upon discharge from the hospital. Outpatient follow-up information was not available.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first case report of aripiprazole associated with hyperglycaemia and DKA. This case is striking in that DKA occurred 4 days following initiation of aripiprazole and the patient had rapid resolution of symptoms and normalization of laboratory values upon discontinuation of aripiprazole. It is important that health-care providers monitor for hyperglycaemia when prescribing atypical antipsychotics including aripiprazole.

Characterisation of olanzapine-induced weight gain and effect of aripiprazole vs olanzapine on body weight and prolactin secretion in female rats

RATIONALE

Atypical antipsychotic drug (APD)-induced weight gain causes non-compliance, increasing the risk of relapse and medical complications.

OBJECTIVES

In an animal model, we assessed body weights, food intake, body fat/lean body mass contents and blood serum levels of glucose and lipids in female rats treated with olanzapine (Experiment 1). Also, we investigated the effect of aripiprazole vs olanzapine treatment on weight gain (WG) and plasma prolactin secretion in two strains (Wistar and Sprague-Dawley) and in two housing conditions (singly and group housed; Experiment 2).

METHODS

In Experiment 1, Wistar females received either vehicle or olanzapine (5.0 mg kg(-1), p.o.) twice daily for 14 days. In Experiment 2, female rats (Wistar or Sprague-Dawley), housed singly or in groups, received either vehicle, aripiprazole (2.0-8.0 mg kg(-1), p.o.), or olanzapine (1.0-10 mg kg(-1), p.o.) twice daily for 7 days. Body weights and food intake were assessed daily. Body composition and blood assays were analyzed at the end of the treatment.

RESULTS

WG induced by chronic olanzapine treatment was characterised by hyperphagia, increased body fat, and serum free fatty acid content and reduced lean tissue and serum glucose content. Subchronic aripiprazole treatment resulted in rapid and robust WG similar to those observed with olanzapine. In spite of similar effects on body weight, aripiprazole and olanzapine stimulated markedly different patterns of prolactin secretion. Body weight changes and prolactin secretion induced by these APDs were significantly modulated by housing and by strain.

CONCLUSION

Assessment of body weight in the present model may not have predictive validity, and other measures may be needed to differentiate between WG-inducing and weight-neutral drugs.

Second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics and metabolic effects: a comprehensive literature review

Increasing numbers of reports concerning diabetes, ketoacidosis, hyperglycaemia and lipid dysregulation in patients treated with second-generation (or atypical) antipsychotics have raised concerns about a possible association between these metabolic effects and treatment with these medications. This comprehensive literature review considers the evidence for and against an association between glucose or lipid dysregulation and eight separate second-generation antipsychotics currently available in the US and/or Europe, specifically clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, zotepine, amisulpride, ziprasidone and aripiprazole. This review also includes an assessment of the potential contributory role of treatment-induced weight gain in conferring risk for hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia during treatment with different antipsychotic medications. Substantial evidence from a variety of human populations, including some recent confirmatory evidence in treated psychiatric patients, indicates that increased adiposity is associated with a variety of adverse physiological effects, including decreases in insulin sensitivity and changes in plasma glucose and lipid levels. Comparison of mean weight changes and relative percentages of patients experiencing specific levels of weight increase from controlled, randomised clinical trials indicates that weight gain liability varies significantly across the different second generation antipsychotic agents. Clozapine and olanzapine treatment are associated with the greatest risk of clinically significant weight gain, with other agents producing relatively lower levels of risk. Risperidone, quetiapine, amisulpride and zotepine generally show low to moderate levels of mean weight gain and a modest risk of clinically significant increases in weight. Ziprasidone and aripiprazole treatment are generally associated with minimal mean weight gain and the lowest risk of more significant increases. Published studies including uncontrolled observations, large retrospective database analyses and controlled experimental studies, including randomised clinical trials, indicate that the different second-generation antipsychotics are associated with differing effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. These studies offer generally consistent evidence that clozapine and olanzapine treatment are associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus and dyslipidaemia. Inconsistent results, and a generally smaller effect in studies where an effect is reported, suggest limited if any increased risk for treatment-induced diabetes mellitus and dyslipidaemia during risperidone treatment, despite a comparable volume of published data. A similarly smaller and inconsistent signal suggests limited if any increased risk of diabetes or dyslipidaemia during quetiapine treatment, but this is based on less published data than is available for risperidone. The absence of retrospective database studies, and little or no relevant published data from clinical trials, makes it difficult to draw conclusions concerning risk for zotepine or amisulpride, although amisulpride appears to have less risk of treatment-emergent dyslipidaemia in comparison to olanzapine. With increasing data from clinical trials but little or no currently published data from large retrospective database analyses, there is no evidence at this time to suggest that ziprasidone and aripiprazole treatment are associated with an increase in risk for diabetes, dyslipidaemia or other adverse effects on glucose or lipid metabolism. In general, the rank order of risk observed for the second-generation antipsychotic medications suggests that the differing weight gain liability of atypical agents contributes to the differing relative risk of insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and hyperglycaemia. This would be consistent with effects observed in nonpsychiatric samples, where risk for adverse metabolic changes tends to increase with increasing adiposity. From this perspective, a possible increase in risk would be predicted to occur in association with any treatment that produces increases in weight and adiposity. However, case reports tentatively suggest that substantial weight gain or obesity may not be a factor in up to one-quarter of cases of new-onset diabetes that occur during treatment. Pending further testing from preclinical and clinical studies, limited controlled studies support the hypothesis that clozapine and olanzapine may have a direct effect on glucose regulation independent of adiposity. The results of studies in this area are relevant to primary and secondary prevention efforts that aim to address the multiple factors that contribute to increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in populations that are often treated with second-generation antipsychotic medications.

Metabolic issues and cardiovascular disease in patients with psychiatric disorders

Individuals with psychiatric disorders tend to have excessive morbidity. They typically have high rates of respiratory illnesses, infectious diseases, substance abuse (including smoking), obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Persons with schizophrenia and affective disorders also have a high prevalence of risk factors for CVD, such as diabetes and obesity, which are on the order of 1.5 to 2.0 times higher than in the general population; this translates into increased mortality rates due to CVD. The use of certain psychotropics results in metabolic sequelae, such as obesity, dyslipidemia, glucose dysregulation, and the metabolic syndrome. These sequelae exacerbate the already elevated risk of CVD and diabetes in this group of people. Therefore, the use of psychotropic agents that result in, for example, excessive weight gain not only add another complication for physicians managing a patient with schizophrenia but also may have serious prognostic and cost implications with respect to treatment-related diabetes and coronary disease incidence. The recent American Diabetes Association (ADA) Consensus Panel concluded that some agents are associated with greater diabetes risk than others. The current review describes the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in people with affective disorders and schizophrenic populations, its prognostic relevance, and its exacerbation among patients treated with particular psychotropic agents, including certain atypical antipsychotics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and mood stabilizers. The costs associated with the treatment of the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and coronary heart disease in populations with schizophrenia are also described.

A retrospective chart review of the clinical effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs on glycemic control in institutionalized patients with schizophrenia and comorbid diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

The association between schizophrenia and onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is well documented. It is unclear whether this association is due to inherent risk factors in individuals with schizophrenia or to treatment with antipsychotic drugs, particularly atypical antipsychotic agents.

OBJECTIVES

The goals of this retrospective, observational study were the following: (1) to determine whether adequate glycemic control could be achieved in patients with schizophrenia and comorbid DM who were undergoing treatment with atypical antipsychotic drugs, (2) to identify inherent risk factors that may affect glycemic control in this patient population, and (3) to consider the possibility that combined medication and inherent risk factors may affect glycemic control.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, observational chart review that evaluated institutionalized patients in a New Jersey mental institution with concurrent diagnoses of schizophrenia and type 1 or 2 DM who were being treated with atypical antipsychotic agents (ie, olanzapine, risperidone, clozapine, or quetiapine) and were referred by their hospital internists to a weekly, half-day, in-hospital DM clinic. All patients with initial and end-point data for the efficacy measure (ie, change in glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA(1c)]) were included in the analysis. Mixed-effects linear and least-squares models were used to test whether a specific comorbidity had an effect on the change in HbA(1c) adjusted for the duration of the observation.

RESULTS

A total of 72 patients met entry criteria. Among the 38 patients with baseline and end-point data (20 treated with olanzapine and 18 treated with risperidone), mean (SD) HbA(1c) decreased from 8.21% (2.4%) to 7.62% (1.7%). The only baseline demographic characteristic or comorbidity that predicted significant worsening in the adjusted HbA(1c) change was hepatitis (P = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Using appropriate, aggressive antidiabetic therapy, glycemic control was achieved in this group of patients with schizophrenia and comorbid DM who were treated with atypical antipsychotic agents.

A phase II trial of olanzapine for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a Hoosier Oncology Group study

In a previous phase I study, olanzapine was demonstrated to be a safe and effective agent for the prevention of delayed emesis in chemotherapy-naïve cancer patients receiving cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and/or cisplatin. Using the maximum tolerated dose of olanzapine in the phase I trial, a phase II trial was performed for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy-naïve patients. The regimen was 5 mg/day of oral olanzapine on the 2 days prior to chemotherapy, 10 mg on the day of chemotherapy, day 1, (added to intravenous granisetron, 10 mcg/kg and dexamethasone 20 mg), and 10 mg/day on days 2-4 after chemotherapy (added to dexamethasone, 8 mg p.o. BID days 2 and 3, and 4 mg p.o. BID day 4). Thirty patients (median age 58.5 years, range 25-84; 23 women; ECOG PS 0, 1) consented to the protocol, and all were evaluable. Complete response (CR) (no emesis, no rescue) was 100% for the acute period (24 h postchemotherapy), 80% for the delayed period (days 2-5 postchemotherapy), and 80% for the overall period (0-120 h postchemotherapy) in ten patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy (cisplatin > or =70 mg/m(2)). CR was also 100% for the acute period, 85% for the delayed period, and 85% for the overall period in 20 patients receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (doxorubicin > or =50 mg/m(2)). Nausea was very well controlled in the patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy, with no patient having nausea [0 on scale of 0-10, M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI)] in the acute or delayed periods. Nausea was also well controlled in patients receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy, with no nausea in 85% of patients in the acute period and 65% in the delayed and overall periods. There were no grade 3 or 4 toxicities and no significant pain, fatigue, disturbed sleep, memory changes, dyspnea, lack of appetite, drowsiness, dry mouth, mood changes, or restlessness experienced by the patients. Complete response and control of nausea in subsequent cycles of chemotherapy (25 patients, cycle 2; 25 patients, cycle 3; 21 patients, cycle 4) were equal to or greater than cycle 1. Olanzapine is safe and highly effective in controlling acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients receiving highly and moderately emetogenic chemotherapy.

Weight gain and new onset diabetes associated with olanzapine and risperidone

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether newer antipsychotic medications are associated with weight gain and development of diabetes.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Data from a comprehensive electronic medical record serving an urban public hospital and a citywide network of mental health clinics.

PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS

Three thousand one hundred fifteen patients at least 18 years old who were prescribed a single antipsychotic drug for at least 1 year.

METHODS

We identified independent predictors of significant weight gain (> or =7%) and new onset of diabetes mellitus in the first year of antipsychotic drug treatment, using logistic regression adjusted for demographic characteristics, obesity, preexisting psychiatric diagnoses, alcohol and drug abuse, number of primary care, psychiatric clinic, and emergency department visits, and pretreatment weight.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Twenty-five percent of patients taking older phenothiazines developed significant weight gain in the first year of treatment compared to 40% of the patients taking olanzapine (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 4.6; P <.0001) and 37% of patients taking risperidone (adjusted OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.5 to 3.4; P <.0001). New diabetes developed in 3% of patients taking older phenothiazines was new onset diabetes compared to 8.0% of patients taking olanzapine (adjusted OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.3; P=.03) and 3.5% of patients taking risperidone (adjusted OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.4 to 1.4; P=.3). No association was found between significant weight gain and developing diabetes (adjusted OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.4 to 1.4; P=.4).

CONCLUSIONS

Olanzapine and risperidone use was associated with gaining weight in the first year, but only olanzapine was associated with developing diabetes mellitus.

Frequency of New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus and Use of Antipsychotic Drugs Among Central Texas Veterans

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To determine whether the frequency of new-onset diabetes mellitus differs between patients taking atypical antipsychotic agents and those taking typical agents, whether the frequency of new-onset diabetes differs among those taking the atypical antipsychotic agents, and what clinical and demographic factors influence the occurrence of new-onset diabetes.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis.

SETTING

Central Texas Veterans Health Care System.

PATIENTS

Continuously enrolled adult (> or = 18 yrs) patients with no previous (6 mo) antipsychotic use and no history (previous 1 yr) of diabetes.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Data from the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System were extracted from September 1995-November 2002. Clinical and demographic factors used in the analysis were antipsychotic agent taken, body mass index, diabetes-related risk factors, type of mental health comorbidity, age, sex, and race. Among those who met the inclusion criteria (3469 patients), chi2 analyses revealed no significant difference in the frequency of diabetes between the typical and atypical groups (p=0.5553) or among those taking atypical agents (p=0.6520). Multivariate logistic regression (1587 patients) revealed that increasing age (odds ratio [OR] 1.213, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.016-1.447, p=0.0324), nonwhite race (OR 1.761, 95% CI 1.174-2.640, p=0.0062), and hyperlipidemia (OR 1.606, 95% CI 1.064-2.425, p=0.0242) were significantly related to new-onset diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Among veterans taking antipsychotic agents, no difference was noted in the frequency of diabetes between patients who took typical agents and those who took atypical agents. After controlling for demographic and clinical variables, still no significant difference was noted among the agents. The main factors (increasing age, nonwhite race, and hyperlipidemia) related to new-onset diabetes were those that are typically associated with the disease.

High-dose olanzapine-induced improvement of preexisting type 2 diabetes mellitus in schizophrenic patients

OBJECTIVE

During the last few years there have been numerous publications concerning glucose dysregulation and antipsychotic treatment with new-onset diabetes and exacerbation of existing disease being reported. At the same time three anecdotal reports describing decrease of blood glucose level during clozapine and olanzapine treatment were published. Here we report two cases of clinically significant dose-related reductions in glucose levels in schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients suffering from pre-existing type 2 diabetes during high dose (40 mg/day) olanzapine treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is a first report of decreasing glucose blood levels in association with olanzapine therapy in pre-existing type 2 diabetes. Antipsychotic treatment with high doses of olanzapine showed that the relationship between olanzapine and glucose regulation is more unambiguous than usually assumed.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need for further studies in order to define the influence of high dose olanzapine for schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients suffering from type 2 diabetes.

Schizophrénie, diabète et antipsychotiques

During the last years, a contribution of antipsychotic drugs in the increase of diabetes prevalence in schizophrenic population has been repetitively suggested. The debate focused mainly on the second-generation antipsychotics. The analysis of the scientific literature indicates however that this discussion is not recent and an increase of diabetes prevalence in schizophrenic populations was already described before the introduction of neuroleptics. Then, after the introduction of the first neuroleptics in the 1950s, an increase of diabetes prevalence was reported among treated patients and the same alarms occurred in the 1990s after the introduction of second-generation antipsychotics. These treatments were related to an increase of glucose tolerance impairment, type II diabetes and diabetic acidoketosis. Recent epidemiological studies have confirmed the increase prevalence of diabetes in schizophrenic patients, particularly in schizophrenic patients before any antipsychotic treatment. Among the suggested mechanisms, there are sedentary life (due to hospitalisation and sedative effects of neuroleptics), food imbalance, shared genetic factors for diabetes and schizophrenia. Moreover, the frequency of the metabolic syndrome is increased in schizophrenic populations. This syndrome associates blood glucose increase, lipid metabolism disorders and android obesity. This could explain--via an increase of the cortisol production--the increase of mortality due to cardiovascular diseases observed in schizoprhenic patients. Thus, it seems well established that schizophrenia is associated with an increased risk for diabetes. It is however more difficult to evaluate the role of antipsychotic treatment as a causative factor of diabetes. Indeed, there are many published case reports or diabetes or diabetic acidoketosis after an antipsychotic treatment, but the level of evidence in controlled trials is low. Many studies were performed on large databases, but were retrospective and subjected to many flaws: concomitant diseases not taken into account, diabetes status evaluated by drug consumption, unknown diabetes status before antipsychotic treatment, etc. In the few prospective studies performed, no significant differences between the atypical versus typical antipsychotics were evidenced for new cases of diabetes. Moreover, in general population, the glucose tolerance impairment is underdiagnosed and it is estimated that people with a glucose tolerance impairment have a 5-10% annual risk of type II diabetes. Thus, this concern has to be replaced among the world epidemic increase of diabetes and in a population of patients whose the disease itself and life style are risk factors for diabetes. Some studies have explored the pathophysiological mechanisms that could support a diabetogenic effect of antipsychotics. Although it does not seem to be a direct effect of antipsychotics on insulin secretion by pancreatic cells, body weight increase has been evidence for both typical and atypical antipsychotics. However, it remains unclear whether this weight increase is responsible for a visceral adiposity, which is a risk factor better fitted to the cardiovascular mortality tha the body weight itself. Other hypotheses involving an effect on the leptin, which regulates the appetite, have been proposed. In waiting of new prospective controlled studies, and without denying the impact of antipsychotics on the glucose and lipid metabolisms (on the weight increase, for example), it should be recognized that the benefit/risk ratio remains largely in favour of the treatment, particularly for the atypical antipsychotics, more effective and better tolerated at the neurological level than the conventional antipsychotics. One of the benefits of the mainly articles in professional media about this concern is to draw attention on the metabolism disorders in schizophrenic patients, which are important risk factor of their frequent cardiovascular surmortality whatever the causes. Consequently, it is advised to monitor glucose and lipid metabolisms of schizophrenic patients before and during their treatment (body weight, fast blood glucose, blood cholesterol and triglycerides). In conclusion, schizophrenic patients are a population with an increased metabolic risk, which is a cause of their increased mortality. Although these data are known since a long time ago, this population does not benefit from the same metabolic follow-up than the non-schizophrenic population. The debate on the possible relationship between diabetes and antipsychotics should be also taken as a helpful recall of the necessity to follow simple rules of prevention and monitoring in this at-risk population. This should make it possible to preserve the benefit of the antipsychotics, the contribution of which in the treatment of schizophrenia is not any more to demonstrate.

Outcomes and costs of risperidone versus olanzapine in patients with chronic schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders: a Markov model

OBJECTIVE

To compare expected outcomes and costs of care in patients with chronic schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders who are treated with risperidone versus olanzapine.

METHODS

A Markov model was developed to examine outcomes and costs of care in patients with chronic schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders receiving risperidone or olanzapine. The time frame of interest was 1 year. The model focused particular attention on the likelihood of therapy switching and discontinuation as a result of treatment-emergent side effects, as the efficacy of these two agents is similar. Measures of interest included the incidence of relapse and selected side effects including extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), prolactin-related disorders and diabetes, expected change in body weight, and the percentage of patients remaining on initial therapy at the end of 1 year. Costs of antipsychotic therapy and psychiatric and nonpsychiatric services also were examined.

RESULTS

At 1 year, the rate of EPS was estimated to be slightly higher for risperidone, as was the incidence of symptomatic prolactin-related disorders. The expected incidence of diabetes mellitus, while low, was slightly higher for olanzapine. Approximately 25% and 4% of olanzapine and risperidone patients, respectively, were projected to experience an increase in body weight > or = 7%. The estimated percentage of patients remaining on initial therapy at the end of 1 year was higher for risperidone than olanzapine (76.9% vs. 45.6%, respectively). Expected mean total costs of care per month of therapy were $2163 for risperidone and $2316 for olanzapine. Results from sensitivity analyses suggest that the probability of therapy discontinuation following weight gain >5 kg would have to be lower than 0.1 for the number of patients remaining on therapy at the end of 1 year to be the same for risperidone and olanzapine.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with risperidone, treatment with olanzapine may result in greater increases in body weight, higher rates of therapy discontinuation, and higher costs of medical-care services.

Weight gain associated with atypical antipsychotic use in children and adolescents: prevalence, clinical relevance, and management

Atypical antipsychotics are increasingly prescribed to children and adolescents with neuropsychiatric disorders. Although their profile of potent antagonism at specific serotonin and dopamine receptors offers certain advantages compared with typical antipsychotics, their use has been associated with various adverse effects, including significant weight gain. This adverse effect is of particular concern in children and adolescents, secondary to the immediate and long-term health risks associated with weight gain, including obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. Indeed, from 1963 to 1991, the prevalence of obesity has approximately doubled in youth. Prior to selecting an atypical antipsychotic, a detailed review of the predictors of weight gain is necessary for every child and adolescent. Published data suggest that clozapine and olanzapine are associated with considerable weight gain, whereas risperidone and quetiapine have a moderate risk. Alternatively, ziprasidone and aripiprazole may exhibit a low risk for this adverse effect. Whereas behavioral and pharmacologic measures are available to manage weight gain associated with atypical antipsychotics, research is needed to establish more effective and safe interventions for this adverse effect in children and adolescents.

Fatal olanzapine-induced hyperglycemic ketoacidosis

Olanzapine is an antipsychotic medication linked to the development, or exacerbation of, type 2 diabetes mellitus. This report describes 3 patients being treated with olanzapine who died suddenly and unexpectedly with hyperglycemic ketoacidosis. All had olanzapine concentrations within the therapeutic range. Vitreous glucose concentrations ranged from 640 mg/dL to 833 mg/dL, and blood acetone concentrations from 25.6 mg/dL to 57.6 mg/dL. Beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in blood were from 55.2 mg/dL to 110 mg/dL. Low levels of isopropanol were also detected. None had a history or family history of diabetes mellitus. Glycolated (A1C) hemoglobin in 2 cases was 14.3% and 14.7%. No predisposing factors to olanzapine-induced diabetes were identified. It is recommended that chemical testing of patients dying suddenly while being treated with antipsychotic drugs include vitreous glucose and blood acetone determinations to elucidate the cause and mechanism of death in these patients. Warnings concerning this potentially fatal complication of olanzapine therapy should be included in standard pharmaceutical and prescription references.

Schizophrenia, the metabolic syndrome and diabetes

The prevalence of diabetes is increased in patients with schizophrenia. Although many reasons, including hereditary and lifestyle factors, contribute to this association, recently there has been heightened interest in the subject because of the link between the use of the newer atypical anti-psychotic drugs and the development of diabetes. These drugs cause significant weight gain and this may be one of the mechanisms by which they increase incident diabetes. The increased prevalence of diabetes among people with schizophrenia has implications for the delivery of care by psychiatrists, diabetologists and primary care.

ESPE/LWPES consensus statement on diabetic ketoacidosis in children and adolescents

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (TIDM). Mortality is predominantly related to the occurrence of cerebral oedema; only a minority of deaths in DKA are attributed to other causes. Cerebral oedema occurs in about 0.3-1% of all episodes of DKA, and its aetiology, pathophysiology, and ideal method of treatment are poorly understood. There is debate as to whether physicians treating DKA can prevent or predict the occurrence of cerebral oedema, and the appropriate site(s) for children with DKA to be managed. There is agreement that prevention of DKA and reduction of its incidence should be a goal in managing children with diabetes.

Hyperglycemia with antipsychotic treatment

Diabetes and mental disorders are common chronic illnesses in the United States. Recently, the introduction of a new class of atypical antipsychotic medications has been a major treatment advance for patients with mental disorders. Because of increased use of atypical antipsychotic medications, new and unanticipated side effects have often appeared. Treatment-emergent diabetes has been described for conventional and atypical antipsychotics. People with schizophrenia may be at increased risk for type 2 diabetes because of the side effects of antipsychotic medication, underlying predisposition, and less healthy lifestyles.

Adverse Metabolic Effects Associated with Atypical Antipsychotics

Adverse metabolic effects, such as diabetes mellitus, lipid abnormalities and weight gain, have increasingly been recognised with the use of the newer, so-called atypical antipsychotic drugs. This article reviews the current literature in the field and attempts to answer the question of whether the atypical antipsychotics differ in their effects on glucose-insulin homeostasis and lipid metabolism. It also addresses how then to manage the use of the atypical antipsychotics that do interfere with these metabolic systems. Differences in effects of atypical antipsychotics on leptin levels are also summarised and put into context; bodyweight gain associated with atypical antipsychotics is reviewed elsewhere. In summary, there are no large controlled trials published quantifying the prevalence of adverse effects on glucose-insulin homeostasis and lipid metabolism in patients receiving atypical antipsychotics. Nevertheless, the published articles and case reports reviewed in this article give a fairly good view of those adverse effects occurring with clozapine, olanzapine and risperidone, whereas little data are available regarding quetiapine, ziprasidone and zotepine, and no data exist for amisulpride and aripiprazole. Estimated rankings of the atypical agents, based on the available literature, show that the relative risk of glucose intolerance/diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia and hyperleptinaemia is highest for clozapine and olanzapine, moderately high for quetiapine, rather low for risperidone and lowest for ziprasidone. Since adverse metabolic effects of atypical antipsychotics may have a negative influence on both the antipsychotic treatment outcome as well as the physical health of the patient, these effects have to be recognised and adequately managed. In this review, recommendations for prevention and treatment of the adverse metabolic effects are outlined.

Benefit-Risk Assessment of Atypical Antipsychotics in the Treatment of Schizophrenia and Comorbid Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Evidence on the efficacy and safety of atypical antipsychotics in children and adolescents with schizophrenia is limited. The purpose of this review is to assess the published data on the use of atypical antipsychotics in children and adolescents with schizophrenia alone and with comorbid disorders, and to establish benefit-risk guidelines for clinicians.Risperidone, olanzapine and clozapine were found to be effective in the treatment of aggression and mania. Risperidone, and possibly also olanzapine, may be the drugs of choice in children with comorbid tic disorders. Ziprasidone has some monoamine reuptake inhibition properties and may be administered as an augmenting agent in children and adolescents with schizophrenia and comorbid anxiety and mood disorders. Compared with the typical antipsychotics, the atypical drugs seem to be more effective, better tolerated and lead to better patient adherence. Importantly, the atypical antipsychotics have a lower propensity to induce extrapyramidal symptoms and a potential (shown so far only in adults) to improve cognitive function and inhibit suicidal behaviour (especially clozapine). Yet, the adverse effects associated with these agents, especially weight gain, which may also have long-term effects, can lead to non-compliance in the young population. In children and adolescents receiving clozapine, olanzapine and quetiapine (but not ziprasidone, which does not have a pro-appetite effect), particularly those with obesity or a family history of diabetes mellitus, fasting blood glucose and lipid levels must be monitored frequently. Weight gain might be better controlled when the children and their parents are properly informed about this adverse effect and diet is regulated. Another major disadvantage of the atypical antipsychotics, especially risperidone, is their association with hyperprolactinaemia, which can lead to hypogonadism-induced osteoporosis, galactorrhoea, gynaecomastia, irregular menstruation and sexual dysfunction, all seen also with typical antipsychotics. Other atypical antipsychotics, namely olanzapine and ziprasidone, have been reported to be prolactin sparing in adults, but may not be completely devoid of hyperprolactinaemic effects in children and adolescents. Thus, prolactin levels should be assessed routinely in young patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. Further, children and adolescents with hyperprolactinaemia-related effects should be switched to a prolactin-sparing agent, such as quetiapine. All atypical antipsychotics may induce sedation and they are not devoid of extrapyramidal symptoms (especially risperidone). The use of typical antipsychotics has been limited to patients who are resistant to atypical antipsychotics, intolerant to their adverse effects, or require injections or depot preparations. Further double-blind, placebo-controlled trials and long-term safety assessments are needed before definitive conclusions can be reached about the place of atypical antipsychotics in the therapeutic armamentarium of childhood-onset schizophrenia.

Serious cardiovascular events and mortality among patients with schizophrenia

This study compared the risks of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in people with schizophrenia who use antipsychotic medications to risks in individuals without schizophrenia in a large managed care organization. A sample of 1920 schizophrenia patients was matched by age, sex, date, and health plan to 9600 persons randomly selected from the health plan general membership. Death, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and new-onset diabetes were identified using a National Death Index search and medical claims records. The adjusted all-cause mortality rate in the group of treated schizophrenics was four times higher than in the control group regardless of whether patients were given a typical or an atypical antipsychotic medication. Users of typical antipsychotics had a fivefold higher risk of myocardial infarction than the control subjects. Among patients with schizophrenia, cardiovascular risk was inversely associated with intensity of use of antipsychotic drugs, suggesting that the observed risks may not be due to a simple or direct effect of drugs. Patients treated for schizophrenia had higher rates of new-onset diabetes than did the general population controls. This risk was most pronounced in persons with more intense exposure to drugs and appeared to be indistinguishable in users of typical antipsychotics, of atypical products, or of both.

Diabetes mellitus e antipsicóticos atípicos

Pacientes esquizofrênicos têm maior risco para desenvolvimento de transtorno hiperglicêmico e o uso de antipsicóticos parece ampliar o risco de desenvolvimento de diabetes mellitus. O presente trabalho é uma revisão da literatura acerca da relação entre antipsicóticos atípicos e risco de desenvolvimento de diabetes mellitus. A pesquisa bibliográfica foi realizada por meio dos bancos de dados Medline e Webofscience enfocando os seguintes tópicos: "Hyperglycemia", "Diabetes Mellitus", "Antipsychotic Agents", com o objetivo de identificar artigos originais e de revisão compreendidos entre 1997 e setembro de 2002. Conclui-se pela existência de maior risco de desenvolvimento de alterações glicídicas na população de pacientes utilizando medicamentos antipsicóticos. Medidas higieno-dietéticas e atenção aos fatores de risco devem ser levados em conta no tratamento de pacientes psicóticos.

Olanzapine in Chinese treatment-resistant patients with schizophrenia: an open-label, prospective trial

The role of olanzapine in treatment-resistant schizophrenia has still not been clearly resolved. In addressing this issue, the current report presents an open-label, prospective, 13 week trial with olanzapine use in Chinese schizophrenic patients who were resistant to more than two different classes of antipsychotics during a minimal 4 week treatment period for each antipsychotic drug at adequate dosage. Fifty-one inpatients were recruited after a cross-titration period and given 10-25 mg of olanzapine daily, without any concomitant antipsychotic medication. Patients were evaluated with the Brief Psychotic Rating Scale (BPRS), the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale, the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale, the Simpson-Angus scale, and the Barnes Akathisia Scale. The olanzapine-treated patients showed significant improvement in both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia by the end of the study. Overall, 20 of 51 (39.2%) responded to 10-25 mg of olanzapine per day as measured by the BPRS and CGI scores. Five patients dropped out due to the worsening of their psychotic symptoms, two patients discontinued owing to poor drug compliance, and the remaining patient complained of a lack of efficacy. Extrapyramidal side-effects were mild, and anticholinergic medications required has decreased. The present open study suggests that olanzapine may be effective and well-tolerated in Chinese treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients. Further double-blinded trials are needed to confirm this result.

Hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia in real world patients on antipsychotic therapy

There have been recent reports in the psychiatric literature of the possible association of glucose dysregulation and diabetes mellitus with the use of atypical antipsychotics. This article describes a retrospective chart review of patients from various clinical settings, including a continuing day treatment program, two inpatient programs, and a large private practice. Information was obtained with regard to weight, fasting blood glucose, lipid profiles, EKG changes, and medical comorbidities. The patients included those treated with conventional antipsychotic agents, clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine. No one antipsychotic agent was associated with a statistically significantly higher prevalence of diabetes, lipid abnormalities, or EKG problems. It was noted, however, that there were higher rates of diabetes (17%), lipid abnormalities (43%), and hypertension (30%) across the sample. This finding suggests that the high prevalence of diabetes, lipid abnormalities, and hypertension in a young, chronically psychiatrically ill population makes the case for aggressive screening.

Antipsychotic-induced type 2 diabetes: evidence from a large health plan database

Case evidence suggests that some of the atypical antipsychotics may induce type 2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of antipsychotic treatment with type 2 diabetes in a large health plan database. Claims data for patients with psychosis within a health plan of nearly 2 million members were analyzed using logistic regression. Frequencies of newly treated type 2 diabetes in patients untreated with antipsychotics and among patients treated with quetiapine, risperidone, olanzapine, and conventional antipsychotics were compared. Based on exposure measured in months of antipsychotic treatment, quetiapine and risperidone patients had estimated odds of receiving treatment for type 2 diabetes that were lower than those of patients untreated with antipsychotics (not statistically significant); patients treated with conventional antipsychotics had estimated odds that were virtually equivalent to those of patients untreated with antipsychotics; olanzapine alone had odds that were significantly greater than those of patients untreated with antipsychotics (P = 0.0247). Odds ratios based on 8 months of screening for pre-existing type 2 diabetes and assuming 12 months of antipsychotic treatment were: risperidone = 0.660 (95% CI 0.311-1.408); olanzapine = 1.426 (95% CI 1.046-1.955); quetiapine = 0.976 (95% CI 0.422-2.271); and conventional antipsychotics = 1.049 (95% CI 0.688-1.613). Case reports, prospective trials, and other retrospective studies have increasingly implicated olanzapine and clozapine as causing or exacerbating type 2 diabetes. Few have implicated risperidone while evidence on quetiapine has been limited. This study supports earlier findings on risperidone versus olanzapine and builds evidence on quetiapine. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the association of antipsychotic treatment with type 2 diabetes.

Comparative study of the development of diabetes mellitus in patients taking risperidone and olanzapine

OBJECTIVES

A growing body of literature suggests that certain atypical antipsychotics, especially olanzapine and clozapine, may induce glucoregulatory dysfunction. We assessed the differences in risk of developing diabetes mellitus during treatment with olanzapine and risperidone by using patients treated with haloperidol and fluphenazine as control subjects in whom we would not expect to see an increased risk.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of the Veteran's Integrated Service Network 10 Veterans Affairs (VA) database. Data for patients receiving olanzapine, risperidone, haloperidol, or fluphenazine from January 1, 1997-December 31, 2000, were included. Diabetes was defined as any health system encounter associated with the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis for diabetes (250.xx) or prescription for a hypoglycemic agent. Data of patients with markers for diabetes within 1 year before their index date, female patients, racial groups other than Caucasian or African-American, and patients receiving clozapine were not analyzed. We performed a Cox regression, with antipsychotic therapy as a time-dependent covariate. Other covariates considered for inclusion in the final model were number of days supply of antipsychotic drug, age, race, psychiatric diagnoses, substance abuse, lithium, valproic acid, and other typical or atypical antipsychotic agents.

RESULTS

Data for 5837 patients were analyzed. Overall rate of developing diabetes in the study population was 6.3% (368 of 5837 patients). Olanzapine therapy was associated with a significantly higher risk of development of diabetes compared with risperidone (hazard ratio [HR] 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.76, p=0.016) while controlling for race, age, diagnosis, substance abuse, lithium, valproic acid, and other atypical antipsychotic agents. No differences in the rate of developing diabetes were detected between fluphenazine and risperidone (HR 1.11, p=0.69), or haloperidol and risperidone (HR 0.89, p=0.41).

CONCLUSIONS

Olanzapine was associated with a 37% (HR 1.37) increased risk of development of diabetes compared with risperidone in a VA population, even after adjusting for other factors associated with the development of diabetes and temporal exposure to study drug. Because of limitations associated with database research, prospective studies should be conducted to corroborate these findings.

Fatalities associated with therapeutic use and overdose of atypical antipsychotics

Since 1989, several novel antipsychotic drugs have become available for use including clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine and ziprasidone. These agents represent a substantial improvement in the treatment of schizophrenia and related disorders and are considered to have a favourable adverse effect profile relative to traditional antipsychotics. Nonetheless, in rare cases, people have died as a result of taking atypical antipsychotic drugs at therapeutic and supratherapeutic doses. Toxic doses of atypical antipsychotics are highly variable: some patients have died while taking therapeutic doses and others have survived massive overdoses. Toxicity may be increased by coingestion of other agents, particularly drugs with similar metabolic pathways. Atypical antipsychotics are metabolised predominantly by cytochrome p450 (CYP) isoenzymes, particularly CYP1A2 (clozapine and olanzapine), CYP3A4 (clozapine, quetiapine and ziprasidone) and CYP2D6 (olanzapine and risperidone). Concurrent prescription of other drugs that inhibit these isoenzymes may increase the probability of adverse events in patients taking atypical antipsychotics. Deaths due to atypical antipsychotic toxicity are often related to cardiovascular complications, but pulmonary, neurological, endocrine and gastrointestinal complications have also caused fatalities. Prevention and management of atypical antipsychotic overdose are of increased clinical relevance as prescription of these drugs increases.

Patients on atypical antipsychotic drugs: another high-risk group for type 2 diabetes

Patients with schizophrenia are more likely than the general population to develop diabetes, which contributes to a high risk of cardiovascular complications; individuals with schizophrenia are two to three times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than the general population. The risk of diabetes, and hence cardiovascular disease, is particularly increased by some of the new atypical antipsychotic drugs. Individuals taking an atypical antipsychotic drug, particularly younger patients under 40 years of age (odds ratio 1.63, 95% CI 1.23-2.16), represent an underrecognized group at high risk of type 2 diabetes. The mechanisms responsible for antipsychotic-induced diabetes remain unclear. Hypotheses include these drugs' potential to cause weight gain, possibly through antagonism at the H(1), 5-HT(2A), or 5-HT(2C) receptors. Other mechanisms independent of weight gain lead to elevation of serum leptin and insulin resistance. Patients with psychoses have difficulties with diet and lifestyle interventions for diabetes and weight management. If hyperglycemia develops, withdrawal from antipsychotic medication will often be inappropriate, and a change to an atypical antipsychotic drug with lower diabetogenic potential should be considered, especially in younger patients. Management of psychoses should routinely include body weight and blood glucose monitoring and steps to promote exercise and minimize weight gain. Careful collaboration between the psychiatric and diabetology teams is essential to minimize the risk of diabetes in patients taking atypical antipsychotic medication and for effective management when it develops. This collaboration will also help minimize the already high risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals with schizophrenia.

Glucose intolerance with atypical antipsychotics

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have suggested that the atypical antipsychotics clozapine and olanzapine may be associated with an increased risk of glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus. Early studies have also suggested an association between use of conventional antipsychotics and the development of glucose intolerance.

OBJECTIVE

To examine quantitatively the association between glucose intolerance including diabetes mellitus and the use of the atypical antipsychotics clozapine, olanzapine or risperidone, and to identify possible risk factors for the development of glucose intolerance during treatment with these drugs.

METHODS

All reports suggestive of glucose intolerance for clozapine, olanzapine and risperidone were identified in the WHO database for adverse drug reactions. In the analyses of possible risk factors for glucose intolerance all other reports of adverse drug reactions for clozapine, olanzapine and risperidone were used as reference. Using the Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network method, the strengths of the associations over time between glucose intolerance and the use of these drugs were analysed. For comparison, the strengths of the associations between glucose intolerance and the use of the conventional antipsychotics haloperidol and chlorpromazine were also analysed.

RESULTS

Clozapine, olanzapine and risperidone were significantly associated with glucose intolerance. In contrast, chlorpromazine and haloperidol were not associated with glucose intolerance. For clozapine, olanzapine and risperidone grouped together, the following potential risk factors for glucose intolerance were identified: an underlying diabetic condition (odds ratio [OR] 10.22, 95% CI 8.20-12.73), an increase in weight (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.76-3.17), male gender (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.11-1.47), and concomitant use of valproic acid (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.61-2.40), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.33-1.99) or buspirone (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.33-3.77).

CONCLUSION

Treatment with clozapine, olanzapine or risperidone appears to be associated with an increased risk of glucose intolerance.

Differential effects of antipsychotic agents on the risk of development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with mood disorders

BACKGROUND

Atypical antipsychotics are being used increasingly in the management of mood disorders.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between exposure to antipsychotic therapy and newly reported type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with mood disorders.

METHODS

Claims data for the period January 1996 through December 1997 were analyzed for patients with mood disorders in 2 large US health plans. Logistic regression models were used to determine the odds of reporting diabetes in patients exposed to risperidone, olanzapine, or high- or low-potency conventional antipsychotics compared with untreated patients, taking into account duration of treatment and dosage. Some of the covariates used in the models were concurrent use of antipsychotics, use of other psychotropic drugs, age, sex, and length of observation.

RESULTS

Based on the claims data, 849 patients were exposed to risperidone, 656 to olanzapine, 785 to high-potency conventional antipsychotics, and 302 to low-potency conventional antipsychotics; 2644 patients were untreated. The odds of newly reported type 2 diabetes in patients who received risperidone were not significantly different from those in untreated patients (12-month odds ratio [OR] = 1.024; 95% CI, 0.351-3.015). The odds in patients treated with high-potency conventional antipsychotics also did not differ significantly from those of untreated patients (12-month OR = 1.945; 95% CI, 0.794-4.786). Unlike patients who received risperidone or high-potency conventional antipsychotics, patients who received olanzapine (12-month OR = 4.289; 95% CI, 2.102-8.827) and low-potency conventional antipsychotics (12-month OR = 4.972; 95% CI, 1.967-12.612) had significantly higher odds for the development of type 2 diabetes compared with untreated patients.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that some antipsychotics may increase the risk for the development of type 2 diabetes in patients with mood disorders and that the effect may vary by drug. In contrast to olanzapine and low-potency conventional antipsychotics, risperidone and high-potency conventional antipsychotics were not associated with an increased risk for development of type 2 diabetes in this patient population.

Hormonal aspects of schizophrenias: an overview

Although the lifetime risk and prevalence of schizophrenia are comparable for men and women, gender differences occur in various aspects of the disease, including age of onset, pathophysiology, symptoms, course, and response to treatment. These gender differences strongly suggest a key role played by gonadal hormones and their interactions with neurotransmitters. They may also suggest a key role for future applications of specific estrogens for improved treatment of schizophrenics.'Atypical' antipsychotics definitely improved the benefit/risk ratio of treatment of schizophrenic patients. However, they shift the reasons for noncompliance from extrapyramidal symptoms to hormonally related adverse effects, mostly weight gain and impaired sexual functions (which occur in men and women, but cause noncompliance mostly in men). Diabetes, dyslipidemia, and decreased bone mineral density, as well as some other adverse effects are more 'silent' but their long-term effects are detrimental. 'Hormone-friendlier' interventions might be needed.

Use of antipsychotic medications in Australia between July 1995 and December 2001

OBJECTIVE

To examine trends in the use of oral conventional, depot and atypical anti-psychotic medications in Australia between July 1995 and December 2001.

METHOD

For each six-month interval between July 1995 and December 2001, prescription data obtained from the Health Insurance Commission of Australia were converted into a measure of drug utilization expressed as the number of defined daily doses per thousand population per day (DDDs/1000/day).

RESULTS

Between July 1995 and December 2001, use of atypical medications increased from an estimated 0.27 to an estimated 3.83 DDDs/1000/day. Use of oral conventional medications decreased from 1.76 to 0.91 DDDs/1000/day, while use of depot medications decreased from 1.38 to 0.96 DDDs/1000/day. During the latter half of 2001, atypical medications accounted for 67.3%, oral conventional medications for 16.0%, and depot medications for 16.7% of total prescriptions for antipsychotic medications dispensed through community pharmacies in Australia. The increased use of atypical medications was accounted for largely by a dramatic increase in the use of olanzapine. Between July 2001 and December 2001, prescriptions for olanzapine accounted for 65.0% of total prescriptions for atypical antipsychotic medications.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study confirm that atypical antipsychotic medications have replaced conventional medications as the first-line pharmacological treatment for psychotic illness in Australia. While this change in prescribing practice is gratifying, the overwhelming preference for the use of olanzapine among clinicians prescribing antipsychotic medication is surprising and is of some concern given the significant increases in body weight that can accompany long-term use of this medication.

Can diabetes mellitus be induced by medication?

The possible relation between diabetes mellitus and the use of psychotropic medications in adult psychiatric patients has been discussed in the literature. In child and adolescent psychiatry, however, there have been only two previous case reports of an adolescent who developed diabetes mellitus while receiving psychotropic medications. We present three adolescents who developed diabetes mellitus after combined treatment with divalproex sodium and atypical antipsychotics. All were African American, obese, and had a family history of diabetes mellitus. We discuss each case and examine the possibility of psychotropic medication-induced diabetes mellitus in adolescents.

Metabolic consequences of atypical antipsychotic drugs

Atypical antipsychotic drugs have become the treatment of choice for psychotic disorders. However, these medications, though certainly superior in many respects to the more traditional medications, have been shown to have a number of untoward consequences. Understanding of the metabolic consequences of these medications is essential for the psychiatrist. The possible development of diabetes, weight gain, and hypertriglyceridemia in patients taking atypical antipsychotics makes it imperative that the prescribing physician regularly monitor patients on these agents. One possible monitoring scheme is outlined and recommendations for treatment are discussed.

A review of the effect of atypical antipsychotics on weight

Controlled research trials have shown that atypical antipsychotics have important advantages over standard antipsychotics, including a broader spectrum of efficacy and improved tolerability profile, particularly with regard to neurological adverse events such as extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). Some atypical antipsychotics, however, tend to cause significant weight gain, which may lead to poor compliance and other adverse health effects. The mechanisms involved in antipsychotic drug-related weight gain are as yet uncertain, although serotoninergic, histaminic, and adrenergic affinities have been implicated along with other metabolic mechanisms. The atypical antipsychotics vary in their propensity to cause weight change with long-term treatment. Follow-up studies show that the largest weight gains are associated with clozapine and olanzapine, and the smallest with quetiapine and ziprasidone. Risperidone is associated with modest weight changes that are not dose related. Given the equivalent efficacy of atypical antipsychotics, weight-gain profile is a legitimate factor to consider when constructing an algorithm for treatment due to the serious medical consequences of obesity.

Diabetes mellitus associated with atypical anti-psychotic medications

Diabetes or hyperglycemia associated with the use of atypical anti-psychotic agents is a subject of growing concern among health care providers and the patients who use the drugs. Although much attention has been relegated to this topic in the mental health literature, there has been little attention devoted to it in the diabetes literature. The purpose of this report is to review the problem of diabetes mellitus associated with atypical anti-psychotic use from an endocrinology perspective. This paper will specifically present (a) a review of the increased prevalence of diabetes in the setting of schizophrenia, (b) a compilation and critical assessment of the existing publications that have documented the association of hyperglycemia and atypical anti-psychotic use, (c) a discussion of the potential mechanisms through which antipsychotics may lead to disturbances in glucose homeostasis, and (d) recommendations for the effective monitoring and treatment of affected patients.

New-onset diabetes and ketoacidosis with atypical antipsychotics

Information from the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) database was reviewed retrospectively to identify patients at the Cincinnati center treated with an atypical antipsychotic and who had also been evaluated or treated for diabetes mellitus. Blood glucose levels, glucose tolerance, or other evaluations of diabetes had been conducted in 14 of the 126 patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. In 11 of the 14, new-onset, acute, and marked glucose intolerance developed after treatment with clozapine, olanzapine or quetiapine. Of these, six patients required insulin therapy (four only transiently) and five patients developed diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Also, glucose metabolism was labile in all cases, and was transient in two cases with subsequent resolution despite on-going antipsychotic therapy. Certain atypical antipsychotics may be associated with new-onset glucose intolerance, including acute diabetes and ketoacidosis. Monitoring for changes in blood glucose levels in patients taking atypical antipsychotics may be indicated. More systematic study data are clearly needed.

Diabetic ketoacidosis associated with Metabolife: a report of two cases

AIM

To describe two cases of diabetic ketoacidosis in newly diagnosed type 1- and type-2-diabetic individuals associated with Metabolife-356.

METHODS

We report the acute hospitalizations and clinical courses of two individuals with diabetic ketoacidosis taking Metabolife-356.

RESULTS

Both patients presented without a previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. One patient clinically has type 1 diabetes (positive islet cell antibodies and subnormal pancreatic beta cell function to glucagon stimulation) and is treated with insulin. The second patient, after 5 days of treatment with intravenous insulin of up to 25 units per hour, is now treated with oral medications. Several possible mechanisms may exist, including the increases in catecholamines and in blood glucose after ingestion of the ingredients of these supplements. Recent clinical trial data shows an increase in blood glucose (in non-diabetics) with these supplements despite significant weight loss at 8 weeks, although no association with diabetes mellitus has been shown in these closely monitored studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Although no precipitating factor of diabetic ketoacidosis was found in these individuals, the dietary supplement Metabolife cannot be established as a precipitant. However, patients with diabetes should take this supplement only after consultation with their health care provider, as stated on the product label. Most individuals using this supplement meet the current criteria for screening to detect undiagnosed diabetes mellitus and should consider these tests.