Changes in Body Weight and Psychotropic Drugs: a Systematic Synthesis of the Literature
Review Changes in Body Weight and Psychotropic Drugs: A Systematic Synthesis of the Literature Robert Dent1,3*, Angelique Blackmore1, Joan Peterson2, Rami Habib3, Gary Peter Kay3, Alan Gervais1, Valerie Taylor4, George Wells5 1 Weight Management Clinic, Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada, 2 Ottawa Health Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 3 Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 4 University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 5 Cardiovascular Research Methods Centre, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada [9–14], for antipsychotic medications [15–22] and for lithium Abstract: Introduction: Psychotropic medication use is [23,24] and has been cited by an expert consensus panel on associated with weight gain. While there are studies and adherence problems in serious and persistent mental illness reviews comparing weight gain for psychotropics within [25,26]. Non-adherence to prescribed medications places patients some classes, clinicians frequently use drugs from at a greatly increased risk of illness exacerbation and re- different classes to treat psychiatric disorders. hospitalization. These costs are high [27], and were estimated to Objective: To undertake a systematic review of all classes range from $1392 million to $1826 million in 2005 in the US for of psychotropics to provide an all encompassing evi- antipsychotics alone [28]. These issues are balanced by the dence-based tool that would allow clinicians to determine therapeutic benefit of the psychiatric medication. The CATIE trial the risks of weight gain in making both intra-class and concluded that the superior efficacy of olanzapine might prevent interclass choices of psychotropics. discontinuation due to weight gain [29,30].
[Show full text]