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Childhood treatment with psychotropic medication and development of comorbid medical conditions in adolescent‐onset bipolar disorder
Author(s) -
Jerrell Jeanette M.,
McIntyre Roger S.,
Tripathi Avnish
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.1227
Subject(s) - medicine , bipolar disorder , psychiatry , psychotropic medication , pediatrics , comorbidity , medical prescription , medicaid , lithium (medication) , mental health , pharmacology , health care , economics , economic growth
Objective This study aims to investigate the association between early treatment with psychotropic medications and the development of medical comorbidities in pediatric patients who develop bipolar disorder (BD). Methods Data from the South Carolina Medicaid program covering all medical services and medication prescriptions between January 1996 and December 2005 were used to determine the association between childhood exposure to psychotropic medications (i.e., psychostimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics) and the diagnosis of select comorbid medical conditions in 1841 children and adolescents diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV defined BD. Results In separate regressions controlling for all psychotropic medications prescribed and all comorbid medical conditions diagnosed prior to the BD, hypertension and cardiovascular disorders were more likely in those prescribed second generation antipsychotics or psychostimulants, whereas obesity/overweight was more likely in those taking serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor/heterocyclic antidepressants, and asthma was more likely in those taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Conclusion Childhood cardiometabolic events appear to be systematically associated with specific classes of psychotropic medications, but no innate, developmental sequencing of cardiometabolic abnormalities was apparent before early adolescence in patients subsequently diagnosed and treated for BD. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.