Incidence of Abnormal Lipid Tests among First Episode of Psychosis Patients: Hazard Rate Greater for Males than Females
Poster A1, Thursday, October 20, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Le Baron
Suzanne Archie1, Azadeh Zangeneh-Kazemi1, Noori Akhtar-Danesh1; 1McMaster University
Purpose: Despite ample data on the prevalence of metabolic disturbances, very few studies examine gender differences in the incidence of abnormal lipid tests among young people started on antipsychotic medications for a first-episode of psychosis. The aim was to address the incidence of the latter. Methods: Retrospective review of lipid test results among a clinic sample of first-episode psychosis patients. The time interval was measured between initiation of antipsychotic medications and onset of a lipid test abnormality. The survivor functions were plotted on the same axis using Kaplan-Meier curves for 143 consecutive and eligible cases between the ages of 14 and 40 years of age, meeting criteria for a first-episode of psychosis. Gender differences were analyzed using Cox regression. Results: The median survival time was 5 months for males and 10 months for females. The survivor curve for males showed a significantly faster rate of decrease compared to the one for females. Males, compared to females, were 1.60 times more likely to develop an abnormal lipid test (Hazard ratio 1.60; p =0.04; CI: 1.03-2.50). Conclusions: Males were significantly more likely to develop lipid abnormalities within the first 5 months compared to females. Most consensus guidelines for metabolic monitoring recommend lipid testing at baseline, three months and annually thereafter. All first episode patients may require more frequent blood monitoring than the recommended guidelines to detect abnormalities early in the course of treatment. Compared to young women, young men may need more intensive supports to prevent lipid abnormalities.
Topic Area: Comorbid Conditions