Weight Gain Common Cause of Medication Discontinuation

Weight Gain Leads to Stopping Medications

NATIONWIDE SURVEY REVEALS TREATMENT-RELATED WEIGHT GAIN A MAJOR REASON PATIENTS STOP TAKING ANTIPSYCHOTIC MEDICATIONS

Philadelphia, PA, May 20, 2002 - The dramatic weight gain often associated with some of the most widely prescribed antipsychotic medicines is the side effect most likely to cause patients to stop taking their medication, according to a nationwide survey of psychiatrists released today at the 155th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.

Ninety percent of the psychiatrists surveyed by Roper Starch Worldwide said they believe that weight gain not only affects compliance, but patients' self-esteem as well, and 80 percent said they believe weight gain adversely impacts their patients' overall quality of life.

Weight gain and being overweight is associated with a number of serious medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and some cancers. Carrying excess weight has also been associated with the development of gallstones, arthritis-related problems and other orthopedic complications, sleep apnea, and blood clots.

Additionally, new research shows that obesity outranks both smoking and drinking in its harmful effects on health and healthcare costs largely because being obese may cause an increase in chronic health problems equivalent to 20 years of aging.

Nearly three out of four (70 percent) psychiatrists surveyed said they routinely weigh at least some of their patients. And more than 80 percent of psychiatrists say that they are at least somewhat concerned about their patients' cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood sugar levels, all of which may be elevated by weight gain.

"Weight gain can be a major obstacle in many areas of health care and patients with schizophrenia are no different in that regard," said Dr. Peter Weiden, Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, New York, and expert on medication compliance for patients with schizophrenia. "In many instances, and as this survey indicates, weight gain is upsetting enough to be a major factor in stopping medication. From a physician's point of view, it's frustrating to hear about non-compliance because the fallout is another cycle of relapse and rehospitalization."

Schizophrenia, which affects approximately one in every 100 people, is among the most chronic and disabling of mental illnesses, presenting symptoms in early adulthood and often persisting throughout adult life, with consequent devastating effects on sufferers, families and society.

Drugs known as antipsychotics and neuroleptics are used to manage symptoms of schizophrenia. The first generation of antipsychotics, known as "conventional" antipsychotics, were discovered in the 1950s and 1960s. Although a revolution in their time, these conventional drugs have disturbing side effects including movement disorders, sedation, weight gain, hypotension, and anticholinergic effects such as dry mouth. These side effects may contribute to the high rate of non-compliance in this patient population.

Newer medications, called "atypical" antipsychotics, represent an advance in schizophrenia management. Unfortunately, some of these new agents carry with them a different set of bothersome side effects including weight gain, increases in cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose levels and sexual dysfunction, which also may affect patient compliance.

Almost all of the psychiatrists responding to the survey (96 percent), which was funded by Pfizer Inc, said an atypical antipsychotic medication that is effective and does not cause weight gain would increase patient compliance.

As part of Pfizer's ongoing commitment to improving health, the company has established an interactive website designed to educate people about the health risks associated with gaining weight and being overweight.

The site, www.WeightRisks.com, provides visitors with a tool for calculating their Body Mass Index (BMI); information about the health risks their current weight may pose; a body morphing image that shows related health risks as weight increments are added to the scale; and access to additional resources and information about specific weight-related health risks.

"It is important, particularly for patients with schizophrenia who tend to be more overweight than the general population, to understand the hazards of excess weight and weight gain on overall health," said David B. Allison, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biostatistics and Center for Research on Clinical Nutrition, University of Alabama at Birmingham. "Even as little as a 10-pound weight gain during adulthood can substantially increase a person's risk for developing other serious conditions."

Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures and markets leading prescription medicines, for humans and animals, and many of the world's best known consumer products.

Pfizer Neuroscience, a division of Pfizer Inc, is committed to pioneering targeted, innovative therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders. The company's knowledge and expertise in the areas of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy has helped bring high-performance treatments to market.

Neurologic and psychiatric disorders represent one of the highest priorities at Pfizer. Of the company's total R&D investment of $5 billion, the largest of any healthcare research company in the world, $1 billion, more than 20 percent, is allocated to the development of more effective neuroscience compounds.

Source: http://www.pfizer.com/pfizerinc/about/press/weightgain.html

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