(hla) A study published in JAMA Psychiatry suggests that children and young adults prescribed with antipsychotic drugs are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Prescribe Update states that a higher risk of type 2 diabetes among adult schizophrenic patients is already known, and the use of antipsychotic drugs increases the risk further.

According to Medical News Today, researchers have found that patients who are under antipsychotic medications are three times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes within the first year of follow-up. Th mean age of the patients was 16.7 years with 37% of them being male.

Researchers from the Vanderbilt University however said that there is no extensive evidence to suggest that the younger people are at increased risk of being diabetic while antipsychotic drugs. Nonetheless, they agree that "although there are fewer case reports in the literature for children, early onset cases.. have been described", which therefore calls for "further study of the pathophysiology of antipsychotic-associated diabetes...".

Antipsychotic drugs are usually prescribed to treat patients suffering from schizophrenia and dementia to suppress symptoms such as agitation, aggression and hallucination. The most recent UK figure from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicates that 10% of 5-16 year olds suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder, while figures from the US Surgeon General show that a mental illness occurs in 20% of American children during any given year.



By Genevieve Tan Shu Thung

Copyright © 2013 Sandhya Maarga Holistic Living Resources
Holistic Living Annex (AUGUST 2013)