title: Weight changes and their associations with demographic and clinical characteristics in risperidone maintenance treatment for schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to characterize weight changes in schizophrenia patients taking risperidone as part of a randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 374 patients with schizophrenia who had been clinically stabilized following an acute episode were randomly assigned to a 'no-dose-reduction' group (initial optimal therapeutic doses continued throughout the study), a '4-week group' (initial optimal therapeutic doses continued for 4 weeks followed by a half dose reduction that was maintained until the end of the study) or a '26-week group' (initial optimal therapeutic doses continued for 26 weeks followed by a half dose reduction until the end of the study). Participants were assessed monthly using standardized assessment instruments during the first 6 months, and then every 2 months until the last recruited patient completed the 1-year follow-up. Weight gain was defined as gaining at least 7% of initial body weight, weight loss as losing at least 7% of initial body weight. A BMI <18.5 kg m⁻² was defined as underweight, 18.5-24.9 kg m⁻² as normal range, and ≥ 25 kg m⁻² as overweight or obese.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of follow-up, of the patients who started within the underweight range (n=22), 77.3% gained weight, whereas 4.5% lost weight. The corresponding figures were 39.6% and 4.8% in patients who started at normal weight (n=273), respectively, and 17.7% and 17.7% in patients who started at overweight (n=79), respectively. At the same time, 59.1% of the patients who started at underweight range went into the normal weight and 13.6% into the overweight/obese range, respectively, while 24.5% of those who started at normal weight went into the overweight/obese range, and 1.1% into underweight range, respectively; 20.3% of those who started at overweight range went into normal weight at the end of the follow-up. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that being underweight or normal weight at study entry predicted weight gain compared to being overweight, whereas being overweight at entry was associated with a higher likelihood of weight loss compared to being normal weight. No correlation was found between weight change and dose reduction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weight change is a common, long-term, but heterogeneous side effect in risperidone maintenance treatment for stable schizophrenia patients. Special attention should be paid to fluctuations in weight that may occur throughout the course of treatment with risperidone.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y-T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: C-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ungvari
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kreyenbuhl
authors.forename: H F K
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: K Y C
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: E H M
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Q-J
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Dixon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D002681:China; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D050177:Overweight / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013851:Thinness / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D018967:Risperidone