Serum Free Fatty Acids and Glucose Metabolism, Insulin Resistance in Schizophrenia with Chronic Antipsychotics

BACKGROUND: Weight gain and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) are often linked to antipsychotics treatment. The aim of the study is to investigate serum free fatty acids (FFA) levels in schizophrenic patients who received long-term antipsychotics treatment, and to explore the associations between serum FFA and fasting blood glucose, and insulin resistance. METHODS: 308 inpatients with schizophrenia who met with the criteria of DSM-IV were recruited into this study, and were divided into four groups: control subjects, single obesity, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 DM according to different body mass index, fasting blood glucose level and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose. Serum FFA was measured with colorimetry. Serum insulin and leptin were measured with radioimmunoassay respectively. RESULTS: There was a significant elevation in serum FFA levels in schizophrenic patients who received long-term antipsychotics treatment, especially in single obesity, IGT, and DM groups. The elevated serum FFA was remarkably positive correlated with fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggested the elevated serum FFA in schizophrenic patients with long-term antipsychotics treatment affected the blood glucose metabolism, may have played an important role in insulin resistance and type 2 DM, and was also an important trait of metabolic syndromes.