Obesity in schizophrenic outpatients receiving antipsychotics in Taiwan

• Published in: Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences Vol. 58; no. 4; pp. 403 - 409
• Main Authors: HSIAO, CHENG‐CHENG, REE, SHAO‐CHUN, CHIANG, YUAN‐LIN, YEH, SONG‐SO, CHEN, CHIH‐KEN
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Science Pty 01-08-2004; Blackwell Publishing
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Ambulatory Care; Antipsychotic Agents - adverse effects; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Antipsychotic drugs; atypical antipsychotics; Benzodiazepines - adverse effects; Benzodiazepines - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; BMI; Body Mass Index; classic antipsychotics; clozapine; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity - chemically induced; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity, Morbid - chemically induced; Obesity, Morbid - epidemiology; olanzapine; Outpatients; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Reference Values; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - drug therapy; Sex Factors; Taiwan; Treatment; Asia; Taiwan; Human; classic antipsychotics; Obesity; Body weight; Nutrition disorder; Schizophrenia; atypical antipsychotics; Psychosis; Body mass index; olanzapine; Antipsychotic; clozapine; Sexual dimorphism; Nutritional status; BMI
• ISSN: 1323-1316; 1440-1819
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2004.01275.x

This investigation estimates and compares, for the first time, the distribution of body mass index (BMI: kg/m2) and the prevalence of obesity among Chinese outpatients with schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics. The BMI of 201 outpatients with schizophrenia‐spectrum disorders was studied via a cross‐sectional naturalistic study. This investigation also compared the BMI of the subjects with a Taiwanese reference population. This investigation found no significant difference in the prevalence of obesity between male and female subjects. The prevalence of obesity among male and female patients in this investigation was, respectively, 2.74‐ and 2.51‐fold greater than the Taiwanese reference population, and the prevalence of severe obesity among male and female patients was 4.66‐ and 3.53‐fold greater than that in the Taiwanese reference population, respectively. The rate of severe obesity was especially high in patients treated with olanzapine. Atypical antipsychotics other than olanzapine did not seem to be more closely associated with obesity or severe obesity compared to typical antipsychotics.