The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, reveals children and teens that were on such drugs gained as much as 19 pounds on average, in less than three months of being on medication.
Weight gain larger than expected
Patients who did not stick to the prescribed regimen of medicines or who declined to involve themselves in the research gained, on average, less than half a pound.
"The weight gain is much larger than we thought," said Christoph Correll, lead author of the study who is a psychiatrist and a scientist at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York.
“It's massive, and it's the medication" that has resulted in those extra pounds, he said.
For the purpose of the study, researchers examined 272 youths aged between 4 and 19 years. The objective of the study, the largest and most definitive of its kind was to establish a link between the first time users of antipsychotic drugs and weight gain.
The participants in the study had been diagnosed with mood disorders, schizophrenia and disruptive or aggressive behavior. They were on one of the following medicine: Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Abilify, Eli Lilly’s Zyprexa, AstraZeneca’s Seroquel, or Johnson & Johnson’s Risperdal.
The related problems and apprehensions
Previous research on the subject involved patients who had undergone some other treatments as well. As a result, the findings of these studies could not have established the exact link between antipsychotic drugs and weight gain, according to an editorial published with the study.
“We were able to show all of these agents can cause quite a bit of body weight changes and body composition changes that are not beneficial to the health,” said Correll.
“What we need to figure out is what are the long-term consequences in the lives of children,” suggested Correll.
Weight gain and obesity in children may lead to higher risk of cardiovascular problems and cancer in adulthood.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) struggled to come to grips with the pediatric use of such drugs for years. Along with the concerns of weight gain, sleepiness and movement disorders reported as side effects, which may be more severe in children, are the biggest apprehensions.
The study's authors have urged child psychiatrists to be extra cautious before prescribing antipsychotic drugs in children who have not yet crossed their teens. The doctors have also been pushed for closely monitoring all patients taking such drugs.
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