Balancing body and mind: selecting the optimal antipsychotic

The burden of schizophrenia remains high, with one in 100 people affected globally over a lifetime. Symptoms are disabling, with auditory hallucinations, delusions, lack of motivation, cognitive impairment, and functional deficits. Despite advances in our understanding of the biological underpinnings of the illness, cure remains elusive. Antipsychotic medications are the mainstay of pharmacological treatment, but selecting the optimal medication for the individual patient is a delicate balance between efficacy and physical side-effects.

People with schizophrenia die up to 18 years earlier than the general population, largely due to avertable cardiometabolic diseases, with a standardised mortality ratio of more than 3. The risks are multifactorial, and include a genetic predisposition for abnormal glucose, poor diet, sedentary behaviour, and, notably, metabolic adverse reactions to antipsychotic medications.

Prosegui la lettura su “The Lancet“