Metabolic disorders induced by psychotropic drugs

Psychotropic drugs may be associated with metabolic disorders, often but not only triggered by weight gain. Disorders include dysglycemia and diabetes, atherogenic dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome. Overall, metabolic risk is lower with antidepressants than with antipsychotics. Among antidepressants, metabolic disorders may occur with both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclics, but with some between-molecule differences in each pharmacological family. Among antipsychotics, the risk is higher with second-generation (atypical) than first-generation agents. Higher risk was reported with clozapine and olanzapine, and lower risk with risperidone and aripiprazole. Weight gain is associated with increased insulin resistance, but impaired insulin secretion was also reported with clozapine and olanzapine. Metabolic disorders may be attenuated by the medication withdrawal and replacement by another safer drug. Besides deleterious effects of medications, the psychiatric population is also exposed to bad lifestyle habits (unhealthy diet and sedentary life), which also increase the risk of metabolic disorders. Management should first reinforce lifestyle measures. If this proves insufficient, specific drugs may be considered to tackle the metabolic disorder on a strategy similar to that applied in the general population.