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.

Metformin plus sibutramine for olanzapine-associated weight gain and metabolic dysfunction in schizophrenia: a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.

Metformin (850-1700 mg) plus sibutramine (10-20 mg, n=13) or placebo (n=15) was administered for 12 weeks in olanzapine-treated chronic schizophrenia patients. Weight loss was similar in both groups: -2.8+/-3.

Similar frequency of abnormal correlation between serum leptin levels and BMI before and after olanzapine treatment in schizophrenia.

Melkersson proposed leptin dysregulation as a factor in the olanzapine-induced metabolic dysfunction. Their suggestion was based on the absence of the expected positive correlation between serum leptin levels and the BMI, and the loss of the sex-dependent difference in leptin levels, which are higher in women. Although subsequent studies did not confirm that proposal, few of them assessed basal leptin levels and corrected for body fat percentage.

Metformin as an adjunctive treatment to control body weight and metabolic dysfunction during olanzapine administration: a multicentric, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Excessive body weight gain (BWG) is a clinically relevant side effect of olanzapine administration. The primary objective of this study was to assess whether metformin prevents or reverses BWG in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder under olanzapine administration. Secondarily we evaluated diverse metabolic variables.