Psychopharmacology Tips

People with schizophrenia are at high risk for heart disease, and a lipid profile should be checked at least once every two years when LDL is normal and every six months when LDL is greater than 130 mg/dl (Marder et al., 2004). A recent consensus conference sponsored by the American Diabetes Association and the American Psychiatric Association recommended that all patients with schizophrenia should have baseline screening for family and personal history of dyslipidemia, undergo a fasting lipid profile, and be referred for treatment if found to be hyperlipidemic. A fasting lipid profile also should be obtained three months after starting an antipsychotic, at five year intervals if normal, and more often if clinically indicated.

Ref: -

American Diabetes Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, North American Association for the Study of Obesity. Consensus development conference on antipsychotic drugs and obesity and diabetes (2004). Diabetes Care, 27, 2, 596-601.

Marder, S.R., Essock, S.M., Miller, A.L. et al. (2004) Physical health monitoring of patients with schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 8, 1334-1349.