Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Antipsychotic drugs are essential in the management of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric illnesses, but their use is closely linked to cardiometabolic side effects. Cardiometabolic side effects include weight gain, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Mechanisms of cardiometabolic side effects involve disruption of the central nervous system's ability to regulate appetite, peripheral metabolic effects, which are changes in metabolism outside the CNS, and receptor-level interactions, with second-generation antipsychotics generally posing a greater risk than first-generation agents. This review addresses current evidence on the cardiometabolic consequences of antipsychotic therapy, increasing inappropriate off-label use of antipsychotic drugs, particularly those that are atypical, highlights vulnerable populations, and discusses strategies for monitoring and mitigation. A secondary goal is to address the considerable literature gap covering recent trends and costs in the off-label use of atypical antipsychotic drugs.
Source: Cureus
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.98275
Authors: Sumeet Bhardwaj, Karisma Pathak, Myra McLenon, Steven Spector, Kevin Tu
Institution: Kansas City University
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4416894221