Newcomer and colleagues conducted a review of blood glucose levels using the glucose tolerance test in 79 subjects comprising 48 with buy INK1197 schizophrenia and 31 healthy subjects without treatment [matched for body mass index (BMI), fat mass and age] [Newcomer et al. 2002]. This study showed a significant increase in glucose levels in patients receiving atypical antipsychotics, particularly olanzapine and clozapine. However, there is still a lack of well Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical controlled studies to assess the direct effects of olanzapine on glucose metabolism. In addition to the importance of weight gain and diabetes associated with the use of antipsychotics, it is also important to diagnose and treat

dyslipidemia in patients using this class of drugs, considering the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical long-term impact of dyslipidemia on the risk of cardiovascular death. The possible direct effect of antipsychotics on lipid profiles may partly be a reflection of insulin resistance, which leads to increased lipolysis. This direct effect of insulin resistance causes an increase in levels of free fatty acids that are sequentially processed by the liver into triglycerides [Meyer and Stahl, 2009]. However

many patients develop dyslipidemia without producing glucose intolerance. Thus, there is a need for more controlled studies to assess the effects of antipsychotics on lipid Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical metabolism. Some anthropometric parameters, such as BMI, waist and hip circumferences (WC Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and HC, respectively) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR),

may also be used as risk markers for metabolic abnormalities, such as those associated with the use of second-generation antipsychotics [Bray, 1989; De Hert et al. 2006; Janssen et al. 2002; World Health Organization, 1998]. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate a possible increase in some anthropometric Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and biochemical parameters, and the existence of a correlation between them, in Brazilian patients with schizophrenia in a 12-month follow up during olanzapine treatment. Materials and methods Subjects The longitudinal study was conducted in 30 patients, 16 women and 14 men aged between 18 and 47 years (mean = 27.83, SD = 8.34). The subjects were selected among inpatients in the psychiatric ward of the Clinical Hospital of the Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (EPQU-HCFMRP) who were enough medically indicated for initiation of treatment with olanzapine (10–35 mg/day). The diagnosis of schizophrenia was performed following the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). All patients and family members signed an informed consent form to take part in this study, which was approved by the Ethics Research Committee of the Clinical Hospital (HCFMRP-USP). Study design This was a prospective experimental study carried out at HCFMRP-USP for 5 years (2007–2012).