Association between the use of an antipsychotic drug and changes in lipid profile: a meta-analysis.

Introduction: Despite their efficacy, antipsychotic drugs appear to be associated with metabolic side effects such as impaired lipid metabolism and an increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome. Investigating the association between individual antipsychotics, exposure durations and mean changes in complete lipid profile has not yet been the focus of a meta-analysis. Objectives: The aim is to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the association between changes in lipid profile in adults using an antipsychotic drug. Methods: This meta-analysis follows the PRISMA guidelines and a protocol has been published in PROSPERO. A systematic search was performed using the databases PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and PsycINFO. Eligible RCTs were identified and no restriction was made regarding diagnosis or publication date. Statistical analysis will be conducted using a random effects model. Results are separated in four exposure categories, namely < 6 weeks, 6-16 weeks, 16-38 weeks, and ≥ 38 weeks. Outcome measures include mean change in total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Results: The search strategy identified 1144 citations. Of these, 746 abstracts were excluded as being off-topic. Atotal of 399 fulltext articles were assessed for eligibility and 202 articles met inclusion criteria. Data extraction and analysis are currently underway. Results will be presented at the EPA Congress 2020. Conclusions: We expect the findings of this study to be of clinical relevance in the management and monitoring of antipsychotic treatment. The knowledge of whether duration of exposure is associated with different lipid changes could provide interesting results benefiting individualised choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]