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Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and related factors in psychiatric patients taking antidepressants at an outpatient clinic.
Method: The study comprised a total of 70 (17 male, 53 female) outpatients with depressive disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder that had been diagnosed according to the criteria of DSM-IV, between 01 December and 31 December 2008. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride, cholesterol levels, body mass index, blood pressure, waist circumference measurements (WCM) of the patients, who met the study criteria were obtained.
Results: In our study MS frequency was 32,8% in total according to NCEP ATP III, criteria. The higher MS frequency was found in drug groups as; clomipramine (50%), paroxetine (40%), venlafaxine (40%), in patient groups as; panic disorder (42,8%), obsessive compulsive disorder (%40). The lowest MS frequency and WCM was found in şuoxetine group. The highest WCM and FBG levels were in the venlafaxine and the clomipramine groups, respectively.
Discussion: Antidepressant medications are often associated with weight gain and metabolic abnormalities in vulnerable patients. It is well known that obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes are associated with a large number of deaths all over the world. Patients with psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety are at higher risk for cardiac mortality compared with the general population. Next to appropriate choice of an antidepressant, WCM, FBG, lipid profile, blood pressure monitoring, is of vital importance not to neglect deaths.