Diabetes mellitus and other metabolic disturbances induced by atypical antipsychotic agents

Atypical antipsychotic agents offer significant advantages over older conventional antipsychotic agents. The reduction in antipsychotic drug-associated extrapyramidal symptoms and the potential reduced risk for tardive dyskinesia, compared to conventional drugs, are major advances in the treatment of psychotic patients. However, recent reports of hyperglycemia, new-onset diabetes mellitus, diabetic ketoacidosis, weight gain, and lipid abnormalities associated with atypical antipsychotic agents have emerged. A review of the recent literature and an approach to the evaluation of risk factors to aide in the safe use of atypical antipsychotic agents is presented.