Dyslipidemia induced by antipsychotics: di”erences between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

TL;DR

This study finds that patients with schizophrenia have a higher rate of dyslipidemia compared to those with bipolar disorder, especially in women and older patients.

Contribution

The study highlights significant differences in dyslipidemia prevalence between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients on antipsychotics.

Findings

Dyslipidemia was significantly more common in schizophrenia patients (73.3%) than in bipolar disorder patients (54.1%).

Dyslipidemia was predominantly observed in women and increased with patient age.

Schizophrenia patients with dyslipidemia had higher rates of smoking, hypertension, elevated BMI, and blood glucose compared to bipolar disorder patients.

Abstract

The introduction of antipsychotics, especialy of newer generation, greatly a”ects the e”ectiveness of the psychiatric treatment of patients with schizophrenia (SCH) and bipolar disorder (BP). Patients su”ering from SCH and BP often have metabolic syndrome (MetSy), as a result of taking antipsychotic therapy, especially in patients with abdominal obesity, there is an atherogenic fat profile that carries a high risk for the development of dyslipidemia.

To investigate frequency and di”erences of somatic diseases in patients with SCH and BD depending on the presence of MetSy.

This five-year prospective study was conducted in the Psychiatric Hospital of Canton Sarajevo. We followed 135 patients with SCH and 135 patients with BD, aged 30 to 69 years, who were treated with antipsychotics for five years.

Dyslipidemia was significantly more common in SCH patients (73.3%), compared to BD (54.1%) and was dominantly presented in women (61.4%). The frequency of dyslipidemia increased with the age of the patient. Associated risk factors in patients with SCH diagnosed with dyslipidemia were 73.5% smokers, 78.7% hypertensive patients, 69.7% patients with elevated BMI and 83.0% with elevated blood glucose values, while slightly lower values were recorded patients with BP. 97.8% of patients with dyslipidemia had elevated CRP.

There are significant di”erences in dyslipidemia in patients su”ering from SCH and BP. Adequate knowledge of the antipsychotic drugs is required in order to provide adequate psychiatric treatment, regarding minimalising adverse e”ects of antipsychotics will be reduced to a minimum. It is important to recognize high-risk patients and educate them about preventive measures.

None Declared