Alterations in body weight and biochemistry in patient treated with different psychotropic drugs in a clinic in Istanbul

Aim: Was to compare adult female patients receiving psychiatric drugs with obese adult females who didn't receive any drug treatment with respect to the alterations in body weight and biochemistry, and find out the contrubution of a team approach for the management of these alterations. Methods: A total of 102 female patients aged mean 40.9±12.4 years who had been followed up and treated in the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics in Istanbul University for their psychiatric disorders and were complaining about increased body weight in the treatment period were included. The controls were composed of 261 females aged mean 39.8±13.0 years who had been referred by various departments to dietitians due to exogenous obesity but had no endocrine-metabolic or psychiatric disorders or history of drug use. Initially, antropometric measurements and biochemical tests were performed for all patients. Results: In the group receiving psychiatric treatment, the mean body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences, body fat percentage (p<0.001); blood insulin, triglyceride, TSH, fibrinogen and homocysteine levels, and HOMA-IR were found to be higher than those of the controls (p<0.05), whereas the total protein, albumin, zinc and folate levels were significantly lower (p<0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that patients who need psychopharmacotherapies were also more susceptible to several metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. Therefore, it would be useful if psychiatric patients are treated with a multidisciplinary team approach consisting of an endocrinologist, psychiatrist and a dietitian specialized in this area to prevent or delay the metabolic disorders caused by psychiatric disorders and treatments.