Antipsychotic Side Effects Not Being Monitored in Most Patients: Study

Individuals taking antipsychotic medications need more medical monitoring due to increased health risks, according to new research. 

Researchers from the United States, United Kingdom and Belgium found that most patients who are prescribed antipsychotics do not receive follow up monitoring for metabolic complications known to be associated with the drugs, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.

About 90% of all patients on antipsychotic drugs suffer from some kind of metabolic complication, which can lead to an increase in risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Metabolic syndrome can also cause obesity, high levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.

Researchers looked at data on about 300,000 patients who took antidepressants between 2000 and 2011 and found that less than half had their cholesterol, blood pressure or weight monitored while on antidepressants. Lipids were the least checked metabolic indicator, with less than a quarter of patients given antidepressants undergoing lipid monitoring. The most frequently checked-for metabolic indicator was blood pressure, with about 70% of patients on antipsychotics having it monitored. The study’s findings were published online in the medical journal Psychological Medicine.

The researchers concluded that the low amount of monitoring was a cause of concern and that most patients prescribed antipsychotics were not being adequately monitored.

Antipsychotics are a broad class of medication used to treat psychiatric problems such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, but they are also often used by doctors to treat a variety of off-label ailments that have not been approved by the FDA. Many have been linked to increased risk of weight gain, diabetes, and birth defects.