This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Weight gain and atypical antipsychotic drugs

Authoring team

  • weight gain with antipsychotic therapy is important as a risk factor for cardiovascular events and the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and because it may undermine adherence to treatment
  • some patients gain substantial weight during treatment with atypical antipsychotics
    • weight gain appears to be commonest and greatest with clozapine and olanzapine; moderate with risperidone, sertindole and zotepine; and probably least with ami-sulpride and aripiprazole
    • weight gain is difficult to predict in the individual, but possible predictors include a good clinical response to treatment, an initial body mass index below 23kg/m2, and younger age
  • the possibility of weight gain needs to be discussed with the patient before starting treatment. Ideally, a drug with a low tendency to increase weight is a better choice for a patient who is already obese or prone to weight fluctuations (1)
  • clinicians should measure the patients' weight, height and body mass index before starting, and at intervals throughout, treatment

Reference:

  1. Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (2004); 42(8):57-60.

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.