The latest antipsychotic drug taking can lead to weight gain in children and adolescents, a new study shows.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, focuses on atypical antipsychotics, which were connected to the weight gain in adults.
The researchers traced 338 children and adolescents (average of 14 years) in the queens, NY, area during their first three months of taking any of these atypical antipsychotics: Abilify, Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa. When the study began, most patients - about 62% - had a normal BMI (body mass index).
Childhood physicians prescribed atypical antipsychotics to treat conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and disruptive or aggressive behavior, which in some cases was linked to the spectrum disorders of autism. Many of these uses are "off-label" or not approved by the FDA, for use in pediatric patients, although several have an FDA consideration for such use.
The discoveries connect all four drugs to weight gain. Here are the average quantities of weight gained by children after three months of treatment:
Which Diet Is Best For Weight Gain - Antipsychotics Tied to Kids' Weight Gain
By comparison, 15 patients who refused or stopped taking drugs earned less than half a pound during those three months.
The findings also link all drugs except Abilify for various metabolic changes. Total cholesterol levels and triglycerides increased in patients taking Zyprexa and Seroquel. Triglycerides also increased in patients taking risperdal.
The researchers, who included Christoph Corll, MD, from the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y., call the results "About". But they do not advise to take atypical antipsychotics when needed.
Instead, the CORREL team suggests that children and adolescents receive "frequent cardiomethabolic monitoring (for example, half-yearly) after the first three months of treatment" with atypical antipsychotics.
The findings are "timely and overworked," says an editorial published with the study.
Seattle Children's hospital.
"However, given the risk of weight gain and long-term risk to cardiovascular and metabolic problems, the widespread and growing use of atypical antipsychotic drugs in children and adolescents should be reconsidered."
Correll study lasted three months; He did not follow the long-term health of patients.in the magazine, Corll and several other researchers disclose links to various pharmaceutical companies, including manufacturers of Abilify, Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa. Editorials report no conflicts of interest.
