Conference paper
A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE FOR THE USE OF METFORMIN IN THE TREATMENT OF METABOLIC SYNDROME CAUSED BY ANTIPSYCHOTICS
Cátia Jesus
; Charles University in Prague, Third Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
Inês Jesus
; Charles University in Prague, Third Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
Mark Agius
; Clare College Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Abstract
Background: Psychiatric patients requiring therapy with antipsychotics have a greater incidence of becoming overweight or
obese compared with the general population. Many of these patients are often treated with second-generation (atypical) antipsychotics
(SGAs), which are associated with weight gain, dyslipidaemia, and other metabolic derangements. The most important
and first line of treatment for the metabolic syndrome is lifestyle changes including diet and exercise. However, other approaches
like the use of medication (e.g. Metformin) have been also used, mainly when the lifestyle changes are difficult to achieve. Therefore,
the treatment of antipsychotic-induced weight gain with metformin may be an option after the lifestyle and dietary changes fail. The
use of metformin is still experimental and off license regarding the treatment of metabolic syndrome in Psychiatric patients, however
we wished to assess the evidence for its use.
Methods: Our study is a literature based research. For our research we reviewed 12 Pubmed published articles from 2006 to 2013.
Conclusion: Metformin have been reported to counteract effectively antipsychotic-induced body weight gain and has been
demonstrated to improve glycaemic control and promote a moderate weight loss in both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects.
Metformin use appears to be a benefit when started early in the course of treatment and mostly in young adults newly exposed to
antipsychotic drugs.
Keywords
metabolic syndrome; diabetes; lifestyle changes; metformin
Hrčak ID:
264602
URI
Publication date:
8.9.2015.
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