The Impact of Treatment with Antipsychotic Medications on Ghrelin and Leptin Levels and Oxidative Stress in Schizophrenic Patients

Abstract

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a debilitating mental disorder that presents impairments in neurocognition and social cognition. There is a growing interest in metabolic alterations in patients with psychiatric disorders due to their increased risk for metabolic syndrome development. Antipsychotic drugs usually prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia have recently been found to be associated with risk factors of metabolic syndrome such as hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance, low level of HDL-C and high levels of triacylglycerols (TAG). The clustering of these factors may contribute in the development of diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying metabolic side effects are not fully understood. Atypical antipsychotic (AAP)-induced weight gain has been the primary focus of attention because obesity is an easily detectable side effect, and researchers have assumed that the initiating pathophysiology is weight gain. Obesity is known to predispose individuals to develop dyslipidemia and glucose intolerance. Thus, it is conceivable that AAP-associated metabolic disturbances are associated with weight gain. Energy homeostasis and body weight