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Weight loss in overweight patients maintained on atypical antipsychotic agents

International Journal of Obesity volume 30, pages 1011–1016 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Background:

Weight gain and associated medical morbidity offset the reduction of extrapyramidal side effects associated with atypical antipsychotics. Efforts to control weight in antipsychotic-treated patients have yielded limited success.

Methods:

We studied the impact of an intensive 24-week program of diet, exercise, and counseling in 17 chronically psychotic patients (10 women, seven men) who entered at high average body weight (105.0±18.4 kg) and body mass index (BMI) (36.6±4.6 kg/m2). A total of 12 subjects who completed the initial 24 weeks elected to participate in an additional 24-week, less intensive extension phase.

Results:

By 24 weeks, weight-loss/patient averaged 6.0 kg (5.7%) and BMI decreased to 34.5 (by 5.7%). Blood pressure decreased from 130/83 to 116/74 (11% improvement), pulse fell slightly, and serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations changed nonsignificantly. With less intensive management for another 24 weeks, subjects regained minimal weight (0.43 kg).

Conclusions:

These findings add to the emerging view that weight gain is a major health problem associated with modern antipsychotic drugs and that labor-intensive weight-control efforts in patients requiring antipsychotic treatment yield clinically promising benefits. Improved treatments without weight-gain risk are needed.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported in part by grants from Eli Lilly Corporation (to FC), the Bruce J Anderson Foundation and the McLean Private Donors Neuropsychopharmacology Research Fund (to RJB).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consolidated Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    F Centorrino, J J Wurtman, S L Cincotta & R J Baldessarini

  2. Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA

    F Centorrino, V H Fellman, K V Fogarty, J M Berry, D M Guay, M Romeling, J Kidwell, S L Cincotta & R J Baldessarini

  3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    J J Wurtman

  4. Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA

    K A Duca

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  1. F Centorrino
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Correspondence to F Centorrino.

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Centorrino, F., Wurtman, J., Duca, K. et al. Weight loss in overweight patients maintained on atypical antipsychotic agents. Int J Obes 30, 1011–1016 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803222

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803222

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