An effective treatment for schizophrenia and similar mental disorders may increase patients risk for Metabolic Syndrome. Clozapine, a very useful, widely prescribed anti-psychotic medication may be associated with disorders of the endocrine system.
Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by obesity, high cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood sugar, and hgh blood pressure. This disorder is thought to be a pre-diabetic, pre-heart disease state that many Americans are at risk for due to increased weight.
Clozapine is used to treat mental disorders such as schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Patients with certain seizures also benefit from this drug. Because of the nature of the former mentioned conditions, treatment is often daily and long term if not life long. Now new reports published in the American Journal of Psychiatry this month say that serious health consequences can result from long term use.
Doctors from the University of Rochester in New York state that patients on clozapine are more likely to develop Metabolic Syndrome than the general population. The risk increases if the patient is overweight and older. Clozapine treated patients are 2.5 times more likely to suffer this serious health consequence.
The doctors stress that healthcare providers need to be aware of health conditions that can develop due to drug treatment. Knowing the possibilities can allow physicians to intervene before symptoms such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and obesity develop.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on July 14, 2006 12:04 AM
