J. A. Gilmore

BACKGROUND: Weight change and the weight-related health factors of nonfasting serum glucose, serum cholesterol, and diastolic blood pressure levels were analyzed in patients with DSM-III-R schizophrenia and related disorders who received treatment with olanzapine for up to 3 years, and comparisons were made to patients treated with haloperidol. Baseline body mass index (BBMI; kg/m2) and dose (mg/day) were investigated as predictors of long-term weight change experienced during olanzapine treatment. METHOD: This analysis retrospectively examined 573 patients receiving olanzapine and 103 patients receiving haloperidol for 39 weeks or more from a study of 1,996 patients randomly assigned 2:1 to either olanzapine, 5 to 20 mg/day, or haloperidol, 5 to 20 mg/day. After 6 weeks of acute therapy, patients continued for 1 year or more with either double-blind or open-label olanzapine therapy or double-blind haloperidol therapy. RESULTS: Mean weight gain for olanzapine-treated patients observed for a median of 2.54 years trended toward a plateau after the first 39 weeks of treatment with a last-observation-carried-forward mean weight change of 6.26 kg (13.8 lb) and a median of 5.90 kg (13.0 lb). This was significantly higher than that for haloperidol-treated patients, whose mean weight gain was 0.69 kg (1.5 lb) after 1.15 years (p < .001). Patients with higher BBMI (> 27.6) gained significantly less weight during treatment with olanzapine than their lighter counterparts (BBMI < 27.6) (p < .001). The effect of olanzapine dose on weight was not significant (p > or = . 183). Median serum glucose at endpoint was not significantly associated (p = .096) with weight change for olanzapine. Median serum cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure for olanzapine-treated patients at endpoint showed a relationship with weight change that was statistically (p < or = .001) but not clinically significant. The difference in incidence of elevated serum glucose, cholesterol, or diastolic blood pressure between olanzapine and haloperidol therapy groups was not different (p > .05). CONCLUSION: Mean weight gain during olanzapine treatment trended toward a plateau after the initial 39 weeks of treatment with no further significant gain out to 3 years. Higher BBMI was predictive of a lower long-term weight gain, while dose was not a significant predictor of greater longer term weight change. The relationship between weight change and glucose was not statistically significant. The association between weight change and changes in cholesterol as well as changes in diastolic blood pressure was statistically significant but not considered clinically relevant based on the ranges observed.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical factors predicting weight change in patients with schizophrenia and related disorders during acute treatment with the antipsychotic drugs olanzapine, risperidone, and haloperidol were sought through retrospective analyses. METHOD: Six-week body-weight data from 2 trials, study 1 comparing olanzapine and haloperidol (N = 1,369) and study 2 olanzapine and risperidone (N = 268), were analyzed. Effects of 8 clinically relevant covariates--therapy, clinical outcome (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), baseline body mass index (BBMI), increased appetite, age, gender, race, and dose--on weight were compared. RESULTS: In study 1, olanzapine (vs. haloperidol) therapy, better clinical outcome, lower BBMI, and nonwhite race significantly affected weight gain. Effects of increased appetite and male gender on weight gain were significant for olanzapine but not for haloperidol. In study 2, better clinical outcome, lower BBMI, and younger age significantly affected weight gain. Increased appetite was more frequent during olanzapine treatment than during haloperidol, but not significantly different from risperidone. Significant differences in effect on weight change were found between olanzapine and haloperidol but not between olanzapine and risperidone. No evidence was found that lower antipsychotic drug doses were associated with lower weight gain. CONCLUSION: This report identifies predictive factors of acute weight change in patients with schizophrenia. Similar factors across antipsychotic drugs in predicting greater weight gain included better clinical outcome, low BBMI, and nonwhite race. Factors differing between conventional (haloperidol) and atypical (olanzapine) agents included increased appetite and gender. Choice of atypical antipsychotic drug (olanzapine vs. risperidone) was of minor importance with regard to influence on acute weight gain.

Article AbstractBackground: Weight change and the weight-relatedhealth factors of nonfasting serum glucose, serum cholesterol,and diastolic blood pressure levels were analyzed in patientswith DSM-III-R schizophrenia and related disorders who receivedtreatment with olanzapine for up to 3 years, and comparisons weremade to patients treated with haloperidol. Baseline body massindex (BBMI; kg/m2) and dose (mg/day) wereinvestigated as predictors of long-term weight change experiencedduring olanzapine treatment. Method: This analysis retrospectively examined573 patients receiving olanzapine and 103 patients receivinghaloperidol for 39 weeks or more from a study of 1996 patientsrandomly assigned 2:1 to either olanzapine, 5 to 20 mg/day, orhaloperidol, 5 to 20 mg/day. After 6 weeks of acute therapy,patients continued for 1 year or more with either double-blind oropen-label olanzapine therapy or double-blind haloperidoltherapy. Results: Mean weight gain for olanzapine-treatedpatients observed for a median of 2.54 years trended toward aplateau after the first 39 weeks of treatment with alast-observation-carried-forward mean weight change of 6.26 kg(13.8 lb) and a median of 5.90 kg (13.0 lb). This wassignificantly higher than that for haloperidol-treated patients,whose mean weight gain was 0.69 kg (1.5 lb) after 1.15 years (p 27.6) gainedsignificantly less weight during treatment with olanzapine thantheir lighter counterparts (BBMI < 27.6) (p =.183). Median serum glucose at endpoint was not significantlyassociated (p = .096) with weight change for olanzapine. Medianserum cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure forolanzapine-treated patients at endpoint showed a relationshipwith weight change that was statistically (p .05). Conclusion: Mean weight gain duringolanzapine treatment trended toward a plateau after theinitial 39 weeks of treatment with no further significant gainout to 3 years. Higher BBMI was predictive of a lower long-termweight gain, while dose was not a significant predictor ofgreater longer term weight change. The relationship betweenweight change and glucose was not statistically significant. Theassociation between weight change and changes in cholesterol aswell as changes in diastolic blood pressure was statisticallysignificant but not considered clinically relevant based on theranges observed.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of olanzapine and divalproex for the treatment of mania were compared in a large randomized clinical trial. METHOD: A 3-week, randomized, double-blind trial compared flexibly dosed olanzapine (5-20 mg/day) to divalproex (500-2500 mg/day in divided doses) for the treatment of patients hospitalized for acute bipolar manic or mixed episodes. The Young Mania Rating Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used to quantify manic and depressive symptoms, respectively. Safety was assessed with several measures. RESULTS: The protocol defined baseline-to-endpoint improvement in the mean total score on the Young Mania Rating Scale as the primary outcome variable. The mean Young Mania Rating Scale score decreased by 13.4 for patients treated with olanzapine (N=125) and 10.4 for those treated with divalproex (N=123). A priori categorizations defined response and remission rates: 54.4% of olanzapine-treated patients responded (> or = 50% reduction in Young Mania Rating Scale score), compared to 42.3% of divalproex-treated patients; 47.2% of olanzapine-treated patients had remission of mania symptoms (endpoint Young Mania Rating Scale < or = 12), compared to 34.1% of divalproex-treated patients. The decrease in Hamilton depression scale score was similar in the two treatment groups. Completion rates for the 3-week study were similar in both groups. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (incidence >10%) occurring more frequently during treatment with olanzapine were dry mouth, increased appetite, and somnolence. For divalproex, nausea was more frequently observed. The average weight gain with olanzapine treatment was 2.5 kg, compared to 0.9 kg with divalproex treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The olanzapine treatment group had significantly greater mean improvement of mania ratings and a significantly greater proportion of patients achieving protocol-defined remission, compared with the divalproex treatment group. Significantly more weight gain and cases of dry mouth, increased appetite, and somnolence were reported with olanzapine, while more cases of nausea were reported with divalproex.