Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance index, leptin and thyroid hormone levels in the general population of Merida (Venezuela).

The metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular events, but scarce information exists about its frequency in Venezuela. In this cross-sectional study, we quantified the prevalence of the MetSyn in a probabilistic, stratified sample of 274 subjects aged > or =18 years from the Libertador district in Merida, Venezuela. Secondary outcomes were the measurement of thyroid hormones (free T4 and TSH), leptin levels, and insulin resistance index (HOMA2-IR).

The metabolic syndrome and its constituting variables in atypical antipsychotic-treated subjects: comparison with other drug treatments, drug-free psychiatric patients, first-degree relatives and the general population in Venezuela.

Background: Few studies on the association between atypical antipsychotic drug (AAP) administration and metabolic dysfunction have concurrently evaluated the general population (GP), other psychotropic drug treatments and drug-free psychiatric patients.

Methods: We assessed the frequency of the metabolic syndrome (MS) according to the National Cholesterol Education Program criteria (NCEP) and its constituting variables in a GP sample (n=271) and in patients receiving, for at least three consecutive months, antiepileptic drugs (n=93), olanzapine (n=162), clozapine (n=105), typical antipsychotics (n=117), other AAP (n=58), other psychotropic drugs (n=185), and drug-free individuals (n=636). Subjects were clinically classified as schizophrenia, bipolar or other axis I disorders (DSM-IV-RT), and as first-degree relatives of each diagnostic group.

Frequency of abnormal correlation between leptin and the body mass index during first and second generation antipsychotic drug treatment.

Background: Leptin dysregulation has been implicated in the body weight gain and metabolic dysfunction observed with the second generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAD) olanzapine and clozapine.

Methods: This study quantified the frequency of subjects with abnormal correlation between leptin and the body mass index controlling for gender (defined as being out of the upper or lower 95% confidence interval in the regression line when combining each group with the drug-free subjects) after prolonged treatment with olanzapine (n=126), clozapine (n=62), first generation antiypsychotics (n=91), other SGAD (n=22), other psychotropic drugs (n=65) and drug-free subjects (n=229).

Results: None of the analysis was significant (p>0.