Pediatric BP: Weight Effects of Treatment

A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry assessed the weight and metabolic effects of medication for pediatric bipolar disorder. A systematic review of existing studies included 24 medication trials with a total of 684 patients, mean age of 12.3 years (SD 2.9 years). Subjects received lithium, antiepileptics, or their combination, or they received second-generation antipsychotics, alone or combined with lithium or divalproex. Weight increase was significant in 18 of the 24 medication trials; weight loss was significant with topiramate, included in 2 studies. Although the author notes there is little adjustment made for individual body types in many studies, it appears that combining antipsychotics with mood stabilizers leads to greater weight gain than with solitary mood stabilizer treatment.
http://www.jaacap.com/pt/re/jaacap/abstract.00004583-200706000-00003.htm

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