Genetics of antipsychotic medications in metabolic syndrome

Genetics of Antipsychotic medications in metabolic syndrome

What are psychiatric disorders and treatments?

Psychosis is a medical condition. It’s a collection of symptoms that show your brain isn’t processing certain kinds of information as it should. The symptoms all involve a disconnection from reality. The main symptoms are hallucinations and delusions. It can also involve disorganized thoughts and actions or dampen how you show emotions. Antipsychotic medications (APs) are drugs that treat psychosis-related conditions and symptoms. The medication can have side effects such as Metabolic Syndrome (Mets). Mets is a cluster of conditions that occur together. This increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These conditions can include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abnormal cholesterol.

How was the research done?

Researchers want to study the genes that might cause Mets in people who take APs. They will use information from two large databases of people who have taken these medications. Researchers will look for differences in genes between people who develop Mets and those who don’t. They will use this information to create a score that can predict a person’s risk of developing Mets while taking these medications. 

What is the importance of this study?

Researchers are worried about a possible increase in Mets when more people take APs. They are studying ways to predict which patients are at risk for developing Mets. This research could help doctors give better care to people who take AP medications.