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Methylphenidate Has Positive Hypocholesterolemic and Hypotriglyceridemic Effects: New Data
Author(s) -
Charach Gideon,
Kaysar Nehemia,
Grosskopf Itamar,
Rabinovich Alexander,
Weintraub Moshe
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1177/0091270009336736
Subject(s) - methylphenidate , apolipoprotein b , cholesterol , medicine , lipoprotein , apolipoprotein a1 , lipid profile , endocrinology , high density lipoprotein , carbamazepine , blood lipids , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , psychiatry , epilepsy
Many psychotropic drugs may affect plasma lipids profile and their metabolism, with carbamazepine being the best known among them. Methylphenidate is a piperidine derivative structurally related to amphetamines and acts as a central nervous system stimulant. Its effect on lipid metabolism has not been investigated. The authors evaluated how methylphenidate affects the lipid profile in the plasma of patients diagnosed as having attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). All consecutive patients undergoing treatment for ADHD at the Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic (2003–2007) were enrolled. Blood samples for total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), triglycerides, apolipoprotein A, apolipoprotein B, and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) were collected before starting treatment and after 3 months of continuous treatment. Forty‐two patients (22 men), median age 16, participated. The median total cholesterol count decreased by 9 mg/dL (P < .0002), LDL‐C decreased by 5.0 mg/dL (P < .016), and triglycerides decreased by 8.0 mg/dL (P < .016). Changes in the levels of HDL‐C, apolipoprotein A, and apolipoprotein B were nonsignificant, and Lp(a) levels decreased by 2.0 mg/dL (P < .0007). Methylphenidate improves the lipid profile by decreasing total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL‐C, and Lp(a) .