Changes in biomarkers of bone turnover in an aripiprazole add-on or switching study.

Background: The association between mental illness and osteoporosis and fractures is particularly pronounced in psychotic disorders. Antipsychotic use has previously been described to affect bone density.

Method: A 52-week follow-up of patients switched to aripiprazole or with aripiprazole added on, conducting a specific analysis of markers of bone turnover: urinary NTX (a biomarker of bone resorption) and serum BSAP (a biomarker of bone formation).

Costs and outcomes associated with an aripiprazole add-on or switching open-label study in psychosis.

Health service providers increasingly need to consider not only the efficacy and safety of a therapy, but also its cost. Our hypothesis was that in our previously reported aripiprazole add-on or switching study, the improved outcomes would be associated with reduced costs. We here report data from this study, now to 52-week follow-up, with 27 total recruits (outpatients partially refractory or intolerant of their current antipsychotic regime).

Change in sexual dysfunction with aripiprazole: a switching or add-on study.

Sexual dysfunction and raised prolactin are common adverse effects of many anti-psychotics. Aripiprazole is an atypical anti-psychotic associated with a reduction in prolactin level in anti-psychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia. Our hypothesis was that switching from another anti-psychotic to aripiprazole would be associated with a reduction in sexual dysfunction.