Antipsychotic drugs may lead to a heightened risk of diabetes in kids, according to new research.
Antipsychotic drugs are used in children to treat conditions such as autism and bipolar disorder. The new findings agree with previous research suggesting that in addition to causing weight gain in kids, these drugs could increase the risk of diabetes in some patients.
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester analyzed data from over 74,000 kids between the ages of 5 and 18 over a period of 7 years. They found that 9,636 were prescribed an antipsychotic drug during the study period. By the end of the study, 57 kids were diagnosed with diabetes.
Analyses showed that children on antipsychotics were at relatively higher risk of diabetes than those who weren’t on any psychiatric medication, but the risk was not statistically greater compared with kids on antidepressants.
Examples of popular antipsychotic drugs include Risperdal, Zyprexa (olanzapine), Seroquel (quetiapine) and Abilify (aripiprazole). They are used to treat a wide variety of conditions such as schizophrenia, irritability and aggression, and sometimes attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
It’s unclear exactly why these medications could lead to diabetes. According to Dr. Jonathan Mink of the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, the take-home message is that this risk is real and should be taken seriously.
The study was published in the journal Pediatrics.
