Body weight and leptin plasma levels during treatment with antipsychotic drugs.
OBJECTIVE
Leptin is produced by fat cells and is presumed to signal the size of the adipose tissue to the brain. The authors investigated whether antipsychotic drugs that often induce weight gain affect circulating levels of leptin.


METHODS
Weight, body mass index, and leptin plasma level were measured weekly over 4 weeks in psychiatric inpatients who received clozapine (N = 11), olanzapine (N = 8), haloperidol (N = 13), or no psychopharmacological treatment (N = 12).


RESULTS
In patients receiving clozapine or olanzapine, significant increases in weight, body mass index, and leptin level were found, whereas these measures remained stable in patients who received haloperidol or no pharmacological treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Weight gain induced by clozapine or olanzapine appears to be associated with an increase in leptin level that cannot be attributed to dietary changes upon hospitalization.
Kraus
T
T
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
Haack
M
M
Schuld
A
A
Hinze-Selch
D
D
Kühn
M
M
Uhr
M
M
Pollmächer
T
T
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003024:Clozapine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077152:Olanzapine; D010890:Pirenzepine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects