Metformin to reduce weight gain and metabolic disturbance in schizophrenia

ABSTRACT FROM: Mizuno Y, Suzuki T, Nakagawa A, et al . Pharmacological strategies to counteract antipsychotic-induced weight gain and metabolic adverse effects in schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Schizophr Bull 2014;40:1385–403. Weight gain and metabolic disturbances (ie, obesity and diabetes) are common side effects of second-generation antipsychotics.1 Pharmacological interventions might be one approach to preventing or reducing these adverse events in individuals with schizophrenia. Since an earlier Cochrane review in 2007 we conducted,2 research has doubled from 18 to 40 randomised controlled trials representing 19 unique interventions and an updated review of the evidence was timely. Mizuno and colleagues performed a systematic review and meta-analyses of pharmacological interventions to mitigate weight gain and metabolic disturbances in schizophrenia. EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were searched until November 2013 and references of relevant papers were hand searched. …