Antipsychotic drugs linked to childhood obesity

From CBC News:
More than a third of children and teenagers taking certain antipsychotic drugs became overweight or obese in the first three months of treatment, a new U.S. study has found.

A newer class of drugs known as atypical antipsychotic medications can be lifesaving for young people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or severe aggression associated with autism, according to an editorial accompanying the study in Wednesday's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

But the widespread use of the drugs should be reconsidered, given the risk of weight gain and the long-term risk of cardiovascular and metabolic problems, wrote Dr. Christopher Varley and Dr. Jon McClellan of Seattle Children's Hospital.

For the study, the researchers looked at 205 children and teens aged four to 19 with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and disruptive or aggressive behaviour spectrum disorders. ...more