Association between antipsychotic-induced elevation of liver enzymes and weight gain: a prospective study

Olanzapine for Non-Chemotherapy Related Nausea and Emesis in Patients with a Palliative Care Consult

CONTEXT

Current palliative care guidelines lack a specific treatment algorithm for nausea and emesis. Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic with antiemetic activity that's recommended in the guidelines for the treatment of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, but outside of oncologic indications there is a lack of research.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the safety and efficacy of olanzapine for nausea and emesis in the palliative care domain, excluding patients actively undergoing chemotherapy or radiation.

METHODS

This retrospective chart review encompassed hospitalized adult patients from six hospitals across a large health system admitted from August 2020 through August 2021, with a palliative care consult, and being treated with olanzapine for nausea or emesis. Data was collected on antiemetic therapy affordability, the ability for patients to tolerate medications by mouth, and safety outcomes such as QTc prolongation and increased liver function tests.

RESULTS

A total of 78 patients were included in the study. Olanzapine decreased the number of doses required of antiemetic medications, the median doses of antiemetic medications pre-olanzapine was 1.6 (IQR 0.8-2.8) and post-olanzapine was 0.6 (IQR 0-2.4) (P = 0.0006). After olanzapine was initiated, appetite was improved (P < 0.001), cost of antiemetic therapy was reduced by 65 cents per day (P = 0.059) and olanzapine was prescribed at discharge in 69% of patients. QTc prolongation was observed in 19% of patients, and increased ALT and AST were observed in 4.3% and 0%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This retrospective review demonstrated benefit to utilizing olanzapine for nausea and emesis in palliative care patients and should be considered to aid in symptom management.

Drug-induced liver injury: Asia Pacific Association of Study of Liver consensus guidelines

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury mimics acute and chronic liver disease. It is under recognized and underrecognised because of the lack of pathognomonic diagnostic serological markers. Its consequences may vary from being asymptomatic to self-limiting illness to severe liver injury leading to acute liver failure. Its incidence is likely to be more common in Asia than other parts of the world, mainly because of hepatotoxicity resulting from the treatment of tuberculosis disease and the ubiquitous use of traditional and complimentary medicines in Asian countries. This APASL consensus guidelines on DILI is a concise account of the various aspects including current evidence-based information on DILI with special emphasis on DILI due to antituberculosis agents and traditional and complementary medicine use in Asia.

High prevalence of prediabetes and metabolic abnormalities in overweight or obese schizophrenia patients treated with clozapine or olanzapine

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence of prediabetes and metabolic abnormalities among overweight or obese clozapine- or olanzapine-treated schizophrenia patients, and to identify characteristics of the schizophrenia group with prediabetes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study assessing the presence of prediabetes and metabolic abnormalities in schizophrenia clozapine- or olanzapine-treated patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m2. Procedures were part of the screening process for a randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating liraglutide vs placebo for improving glucose tolerance. For comparison, an age-, sex-, and BMI-matched healthy control group without psychiatric illness and prediabetes was included. Prediabetes was defined as elevated fasting plasma glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance and/or elevated glycated hemoglobin A1c.

RESULTS

Among 145 schizophrenia patients (age = 42.1 years; males = 59.3%) on clozapine or olanzapine (clozapine/olanzapine/both: 73.8%/24.1%/2.1%), prediabetes was present in 69.7% (101 out of 145). While schizophrenia patients with and without prediabetes did not differ regarding demographic, illness, or antipsychotic treatment variables, metabolic abnormalities (waist circumference: 116.7±13.7 vs 110.1±13.6 cm, P = 0.007; triglycerides: 2.3±1.4 vs 1.6±0.9 mmol/L, P = 0.0004) and metabolic syndrome (76.2% vs 40.9%, P<0.0001) were significantly more pronounced in schizophrenia patients with vs without prediabetes. The age-, sex-, and BMI-matched healthy controls had significantly better glucose tolerance compared to both groups of patients with schizophrenia. The healthy controls also had higher levels of high-density lipoprotein compared to patients with schizophrenia and prediabetes.

CONCLUSION

Prediabetes and metabolic abnormalities were highly prevalent among the clozapine- and olanzapine-treated patients with schizophrenia, putting these patients at great risk for later type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These results stress the importance of identifying and adequately treating prediabetes and metabolic abnormalities among clozapine- and olanzapine-treated patients with schizophrenia.

One-Year Prospective Study of Liver Function Tests in Children and Adolescents on Second-Generation Antipsychotics: Is There a Link with Metabolic Syndrome?

OBJECTIVE

To analyze liver function tests (LFT), weight, metabolic syndrome (MetS) and at risk of meeting MetS criteria (AR-MetS) in children and adolescents on antipsychotics (AP) during a year-long follow-up.

METHODS

Two hundred sixteen patients, AP naïve or quasi-naïve (<30 days on AP), were included. Total bilirubin, the enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), weight and other parameters of MetS were measured at baseline, and at 3, 6 and 12 months, while patients remained on the same AP.

RESULTS

At baseline, patients (mean age: 14.1 ± 3.1 years; 60.2% male) were on risperidone (N = 143), olanzapine (N = 37), or quetiapine (N = 36), although the sample decreased over time to 67 patients at 12 months (risperidone N = 46, olanzapine N = 10, and quetiapine N = 11). Around 3% of patients had ALT/AST levels that were at least twice the upper limit of normal (ULN) at 3 and 6 months; whereas roughly 19% of patients had ALP levels that were at least twice the ULN in at least one assessment after baseline, but had no clinical symptoms. From baseline to 6 months, significant increases were observed in ALT levels in the whole sample (p = 0.005), whereas ALP increased only in patients on risperidone. Patients showed significant weight gain, and more individuals met criteria for MetS and AR-MetS over time (from baseline: 2.8% and 8.3%, to 1 year: 10.5% and 23.9%, respectively). There was a trend-level group effect in global ALT across time (p = 0.076). Patients with MetS showed higher ALT concentrations (28.9 [18.4-39.4] U/L) than AR-MetS (20.4 [8.5-32.2] U/L), and no-AR-MetS (19.2 [8.4-29.9] U/L).

CONCLUSIONS

Less than 3% of children and adolescents on AP during 1-year follow-up showed an increase in ALT or AST levels in one or more of the assessments, and none of these increases was of clinical significance. Patients with MetS and AR-MetS increased during this period, and the possible role of ALT levels to monitor these patients deserves further study.

Safety Assessment of Liver Injury with Quetiapine Fumarate XR Management in Very Heavy Drinking Alcohol-Dependent Patients

BACKGROUND

Studies have reported liver injury as a consequence of antipsychotic treatment. Very heavy alcohol drinking (ten or more drinks/day for men and eight for women) also causes liver injury. This study aims to evaluate liver injury with quetiapine extended release (XR) in very heavy drinking alcohol-dependent (AD) patients.

METHODS

Two hundred and eighteen AD patients, 18-65 years of age, received 12 weeks of quetiapine XR or placebo treatment in a dose-escalated manner reaching the full dose of 400 mg/day during week 4. Blood chemistry and hematology were assessed at baseline (W0), post-titration at the end of week 3 (W4), week 8 (W8), and end of week 12 (W13). Patients were further grouped as GR.1 (no liver injury, ALT ≤40) and GR.2 (pre-existing liver injury, ALT >40) within each treatment. Drinking history, fasting blood glucose concentration (FBG), and lipid panel were used as covariates in the analyses.

RESULTS

Liver injury and total drinks and average drinking measures from the Timeline follow-back questionnaire (TLFB) were highly associated. No significant exacerbation in liver injury was observed in patients treated with quetiapine XR in GR.2. Liver injury as determined by elevated alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) was reported in a few patients in GR.1 who received quetiapine XR; however, the occurrence was low, and the level of liver injury was not significant. FBG and lipid measures showed some elevation, but did not show any significant association with liver injury.

CONCLUSION

Quetiapine XR did not show any significant exacerbation of liver injury in very heavy drinking alcohol-dependent patients with pre-existing liver injury. Frequency and severity of new liver injury cases in quetiapine XR-treated patients without any pre-existing liver injury was also low. Study findings support medical management of AD patients with heavy drinking profile using quetiapine XR formulation.

Distinct molecular phenotypes in male and female schizophrenia patients

BACKGROUND

In schizophrenia, sex specific dimorphisms related to age of onset, course of illness and response to antipsychotic treatment may be mirrored by sex-related differences in the underlying molecular pathways.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Here, we have carried out multiplex immunoassay profiling of sera from 4 independent cohorts of first episode antipsychotic naive schizophrenia patients (n = 133) and controls (n = 133) to identify such sex-specific illness processes in the periphery. The concentrations of 16 molecules associated with hormonal, inflammation and growth factor pathways showed significant sex differences in schizophrenia patients compared with controls. In female patients, the inflammation-related analytes alpha-1-antitrypsin, B lymphocyte chemoattractant BLC and interleukin-15 showed negative associations with positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) scores. In male patients, the hormones prolactin and testosterone were negatively associated with PANSS ratings. In addition, we investigated molecular changes in a subset of 33 patients before and after 6 weeks of treatment with antipsychotics and found that treatment induced sex-specific changes in the levels of testosterone, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, follicle stimulating hormone, interleukin-13 and macrophage-derived chemokine. Finally, we evaluated overlapping and distinct biomarkers in the sex-specific molecular signatures in schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

We propose that future studies should investigate the common and sex-specific aetiologies of schizophrenia, as the current findings suggest that different therapeutic strategies may be required for male and female patients.

[Metabolic disorders under antipsychotic treatment]

Patients with severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder, are more likely to be overweight and to suffer from dyslipidaemia, diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Unhealthy lifestyles, including poor diet and sedentary behaviour, but also pharmacotherapy contribute to the adverse risk profile. This article reviews the epidemiology and pharmacodynamics of metabolic abnormalities in psychiatric patients treated with antipsychotics, focusing on substance-specific differences.

Biochemical risk factors for development of obesity in first-episode schizophrenia

Obesity is a serious health issue for many patients with schizophrenia. There is a lack of predictors for and understanding of the development of obesity in the early phase of the illness. Therefore we investigated a set of routine biochemistry variables in blood as predictors of the development of obesity and weight gain over 5 years in an observational cohort study of patients with first-episode schizophrenia (n=59). Twelve percent of the patients were obese at baseline and 37% were obese at the 5-year follow-up. The mean body mass index (BMI) change over 5 years was a 4.1 kg/m(2) increase (4.5 SD). Obesity was predicted by baseline hemoglobin levels (odds ratio per standard deviation [OR/SD] 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4 to 7.5), red blood cell count (OR/SD 2.6, 95% CI 1.2 to 5.5), hematocrit (OR/SD 2.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 5.9), gamma-glutamyltransferase (OR/SD 2.8, 95% CI 1.2-6.3) and creatinine (OR/SD 3.1, 95% CI 1.2 to 8.0). After adjustment for baseline BMI, the associations were attenuated for gamma-glutamyltransferase and creatinine. Low baseline BMI was associated with a greater BMI increase. The major conclusion is that easily available routine biochemistry markers can be useful in predicting the development of obesity in first-episode schizophrenia. The mechanisms underlying the observed associations are unknown, but the predictors identified in this study could signify dehydration or insulin resistance. These observations open a new window to future research on the mechanisms underlying the development of obesity in schizophrenia.

A review of liver function tests during treatment with atypical antipsychotic drugs: a chart review study

OBJECTIVE

Atypical antipsychotic drugs commonly cause asymptomatic increase in the liver enzymes and serum bilirubin levels. However they rarely may induce a serious hepatic toxicity. In this article we aimed to evaluate the effect of atypical antipsychotic drugs namely olanzapine, risperidone and quetiapine on the hepatic enzymes and serum bilirubin levels in psychiatric patients.

METHOD

Chart reviews of 312 patient followed-up at Psychiatry Department of Zonguldak Karaelmas University Hospital were examined in detail. The patients whose baseline and follow-up liver function tests including alanine aminotransfeaminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphotase (ALP) and serum bilirubin that were measured before and within the treatment period of first and sixth months were enrolled. Forty eight males and 62 females whose ages ranging from 12 to 65 years were eligible for this study (no pregnant case was present).

RESULTS

The repartition according to treatment is as follows: olanzapine (n=33), risperidone (n=29), and quetiapine (n=48). Two of the 110 patients (1.8%) presented with increased AST levels of up to 4 fold and ALT of thrice the basal level and needed to stop treatment (AST increase in one female with olanzapine 20 mg/day; ALT increase in one male with olanzapine 30 mg/day). Thirty of the 110 patients (27.2%) showed asymptomatic increases in ALT, AST, GGT and serum bilirubin levels in the first month of the study. After 6 months of the treatment, abnormalities in the liver function tests were observed in 25 patients (22.7%).

CONCLUSION

These results were in accordance with previous studies that asymptomatic increase of liver enzymes are common but significant liver enzyme elevations are rare during atypical antipsychotic treatment. We suggest that obtaining baseline liver enzyme tests before atypical antipsychotic therapy and monitoring regularly specifically in patients with risk factors for liver damage during therapy.