The treatment with a number of antipsychotic medications is associated with weight gain, and for some, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia.
This cluster of metabolic side effects may contribute to the risk for diabetes, hypertension, and other medical disorders associated with heart disease. This is of particular concern because there is a higher cardiovascular mortality among the severely mentally ill compared to the general population.

Researchers already know that differences exist between antipsychotics in their effect on clinical measures associated with cardiovascular risk, namely weight, lipids and glucose. Systemic inflammation has recently emerged as an important marker of cardiovascular risk, but the effects of antipsychotics on inflammatory markers in the blood have not been extensively studied until now.

Using data from the multicenter CATIE ( Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness ) study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, Jonathan Meyer and colleagues examined the impact of multiple antipsychotic therapies on changes in systemic inflammation. Their findings provide evidence that antipsychotic medications, particularly Olanzapine (Zyprexa ) and Quetiapine ( Seroquel ), increase the levels of inflammation markers.

The markers implicated include C-reactive protein, E-selectin, and intercellular adhesion molecular-1 ( ICAM-1 ). Increased levels of C-reactive protein in particular are associated with increased risk for the development or progression of many illnesses including heart disease, and stroke.

According to Authors, this analysis provides the most compelling evidence to date that differences in antipsychotic metabolic liability are also seen with markers of systemic inflammation. It also provides an impetus for monitoring cardiovascular risk markers in antipsychotic treated patients.

Source: Biological Psychiatry, 2009

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