Open AccessAssociations between the number of antipsychotics prescribed and metabolic parameters in Japanese patients with schizophrenia
Author(s) -
Watanabe Yuichiro,
Ono Shin,
Sugai Takuro,
Suzuki Yutaro,
Yamazaki Manabu,
Sugawara Norio,
YasuiFurukori Norio,
Shimoda Kazutaka,
Mori Takao,
Ozeki Yuji,
Matsuda Hiroshi,
Okamoto Kurefu,
Sagae Toyoaki,
Someya Toshiyuki
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2769-2558
DOI - 10.1002/pcn5.28
Subject(s) - olanzapine , polypharmacy , antipsychotic , risperidone , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , medicine , aripiprazole , body mass index , clozapine , paliperidone , blood pressure , psychiatry
Aim There is little evidence on the effects of antipsychotic polypharmacy on metabolic parameters in patients with schizophrenia. Thus, this cross‐sectional study explored the associations between the number of antipsychotics prescribed and metabolic parameters in Japanese patients with schizophrenia. Methods We obtained metabolic parameter data from 19,675 patients with schizophrenia. Of these, 1380 (7.0%), 8422 (42.8%), 6326 (32.2%), and 3547 (18.0%) were treated with none, one, two, and three or more antipsychotics, respectively. We compared eight metabolic parameters among the four groups using univariate analyses. We then performed multiple regression analysis to assess the effect of the number of antipsychotics prescribed on metabolic parameters after controlling for the effects of age, sex, type of care (outpatient/inpatient), chlorpromazine‐equivalent dose, and antipsychotic type (aripiprazole, olanzapine, and risperidone). Results There were significant differences in body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (dBP), total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides among the four groups. The multiple regression analysis showed that the number of antipsychotics prescribed was significantly correlated with BMI and dBP (standardized regression coefficient = 0.031 and 0.026, respectively). Conclusion Our results suggested that the number of antipsychotics prescribed adversely affects BMI and dBP. Clinicians should avoid inappropriate antipsychotic polypharmacy, especially polypharmacy involving three or more antipsychotics.