Associations between the number of antipsychotics prescribed and metabolic parameters in Japanese patients with schizophrenia
Yuichiro Watanabe,
Shin Ono,
Takuro Sugai,
Yutaro Suzuki,
Manabu Yamazaki,
Norio Sugawara,
Norio Yasui‐Furukori,
Kazutaka Shimoda,
Takao Mori,
Yuji Ozeki,
Hiroshi Matsuda,
Kurefu Okamoto,
Toyoaki Sagae,
Toshiyuki Someya
Affiliations
Yuichiro Watanabe
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata University Niigata Japan
Shin Ono
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata University Niigata Japan
Takuro Sugai
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata University Niigata Japan
Yutaro Suzuki
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata University Niigata Japan
Manabu Yamazaki
Japan Psychiatric Hospital Association Tokyo Japan
Norio Sugawara
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine Dokkyo Medical University Mibu Tochigi Japan
Norio Yasui‐Furukori
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine Dokkyo Medical University Mibu Tochigi Japan
Kazutaka Shimoda
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine Dokkyo Medical University Mibu Tochigi Japan
Takao Mori
Japan Psychiatric Hospital Association Tokyo Japan
Yuji Ozeki
Department of Psychiatry Shiga University of Medical Science Otsu Shiga Japan
Hiroshi Matsuda
Japan Psychiatric Hospital Association Tokyo Japan
Kurefu Okamoto
Japan Psychiatric Hospital Association Tokyo Japan
Toyoaki Sagae
Department of Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Nutrition Yamagata Prefectural Yonezawa University of Nutrition Sciences Yonezawa Yamagata Japan
Toshiyuki Someya
Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata University Niigata Japan
Abstract Aim There is little evidence on the effects of antipsychotic polypharmacy on metabolic parameters in patients with schizophrenia. Thus, this cross‐sectional study explored the associations between the number of antipsychotics prescribed and metabolic parameters in Japanese patients with schizophrenia. Methods We obtained metabolic parameter data from 19,675 patients with schizophrenia. Of these, 1380 (7.0%), 8422 (42.8%), 6326 (32.2%), and 3547 (18.0%) were treated with none, one, two, and three or more antipsychotics, respectively. We compared eight metabolic parameters among the four groups using univariate analyses. We then performed multiple regression analysis to assess the effect of the number of antipsychotics prescribed on metabolic parameters after controlling for the effects of age, sex, type of care (outpatient/inpatient), chlorpromazine‐equivalent dose, and antipsychotic type (aripiprazole, olanzapine, and risperidone). Results There were significant differences in body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (dBP), total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides among the four groups. The multiple regression analysis showed that the number of antipsychotics prescribed was significantly correlated with BMI and dBP (standardized regression coefficient = 0.031 and 0.026, respectively). Conclusion Our results suggested that the number of antipsychotics prescribed adversely affects BMI and dBP. Clinicians should avoid inappropriate antipsychotic polypharmacy, especially polypharmacy involving three or more antipsychotics.
