Antipsychotic drugs and risk of type 2 diabetes: an evidence-based approach.
OBJECTIVE
To review studies conducted to evaluate the risk of type 2 diabetes in patients treated with different antipsychotic drugs (AP).


METHODS
a MEDLINE search (January 1985-February 2003) was conducted to establish the potential relationship between the exposure to AP (conventional and second generation) and the development of type 2 diabetes. Studies were classified according to their experimental design as prospective and retrospective (incidence and prevalence based).


RESULTS
Twenty-one studies were selected: nine prospective and eleven retrospective.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with schizophrenia treated with different AP have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with the general population. The data so far available, however, do not establish whether the increasing risk of developing diabetes is a function of the schizophrenia itself or is induced by the antipsychotic treatment. A number of methodological flaws in the study design and data collection do not allow conclusions to be drawn on the risk between patients treated with conventional drugs versus those treated with new ones.
Bellantuono
Cesario
C
Psychopharmacology Unit, Department of Medicine and Public Health, Section of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, University of Verona, Policlinico GB Rossi, Piazzale L. Scuro, 37134 Verona, Italy. cesario.bellantuono@univr.it
Tentoni
Luigi
L
Donda
Pietro
P
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015982:Bias; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents