Three-fold risk of type 2 diabetes in children/youth taking antipsychotics, new study finds

The increased prescribing of antipsychotics for children and youth has heightened concerns that this practice increases the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry on August 21.

Antipsychotic drugs such as quetiapine (AstraZeneca’s Seroquel), aripiprazole (Otsuka and Lundbeck’s Abilify) and risperidone (Johnson & Johnson’s Risperdal) can triple a child's risk of developing type 2 diabetes within the first year of usage, according to a new study.

Commenting on the results, corresponding author Wayne Ray said "we did not see a difference between different types of drugs," suggesting "it may be an effect of the whole class of antipsychotics." He noted that, while "it's well known that antipsychotics cause diabetes in adults," who have a roughly two-fold increase in diabetes risk, "until now the question had not been fully investigated in children." Dr Ray explained that antipsychotic medication may promote insulin resistance by causing dramatic weight gain in young people. He urged a "more cautious" approach when starting antipsychotic drug treatment in youth, adding that they should be taking the "lowest dose for the shortest period of time."