Major Finding: The risk for the developing metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents increases sharply between 3 and 12 months of antipsychotic treatment.
Data Source: A longitudinal study of 235 children and adolescents with schizophrenia or other disorders or psychotic symptoms, bipolar disorders, and other disorders.
Disclosures: The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and by an independent investigator award from the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM). Ms. Merchán-Naranjo reported no conflict of interest.
PARIS – The percentage of children and adolescents who developed metabolic syndrome while taking antipsychotics more than doubled from 3% after 3 months of use to 7% after 12 months, according to data from a longitudinal study of 235 children and adolescents, Jessica Merchán-Naranjo reported at the meeting.
Data from previous studies have shown the development of metabolic adverse effects as a result of antipsychotics, but the nature of the impact on children has not been well-studied, said Ms. Merchán-Naranjo of the Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón in Madrid.
At baseline, 116 children had no prior antipsychotic treatment and 119 had fewer than 30 days of exposure to antipsychotics. The patients were assessed at baseline and again after 3, 6, and 12 months of antipsychotic use. The mean age of the children was 14 years, 141 were male, and 89% were white.
The diagnoses were divided into three groups: schizophrenia or other disorders with psychotic symptoms (93 patients), bipolar disorder (38 patients), and other disorders (104 patients). The majority of the children were treated with risperidone (146 patients). The most common additional medications were olanzapine (39 patients), and quetiapine (38 patients).
The remaining patients were treated with clozapine, haloperidol, pimozide, or aripiprazole.
The percentage of children who met criteria for metabolic syndrome at 3, 6, and 12 months was 3%, 6%, and 7%, respectively.
Metabolic syndrome was defined as at least three of the following conditions: body mass index in the 95th percentile or higher, triglycerides greater than 110 mg/dL, HDL cholesterol less than 40 mg/dL, and glucose of 110 mg/dL or higher.
The percentage of children who were considered at risk for metabolic syndrome at 3, 6, and 12 months was 22%, 24%, and 33%, respectively.
The researchers defined “at risk” as either a body mass index in the 95th percentile or higher, or a BMI in the 85th percentile or higher plus the presence of hypertension, dyslipidemia, or hyperglycemia.
The results confirm that adverse events should be monitored in children and adolescents taking antipsychotics throughout the entire treatment period, she added.