How do you weigh the risks of antipsychotic induced metabolic side effects when treating behavioral symptoms of dementia in a patient with diabetes?

This is an excellent question and is a difficult clinical metabolic risk concern in a poorly characterized population. Most of what we know about antipsychotic-induced metabolic syndrome, such as weight gain, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia, comes from younger patients with schiz...

First, the clinician should address the risks and benefits of a specific antipsychotic medication and whether alternate psychotropic medications, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, may have a better risk/benefit profile. Most providers will mitigate the metabolic risks of a specific antipsychoti...

Multiple factors go into prescribing any medication to an elderly person, including:

• Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
• Individual morbidity and medications
• Antipsychotics and their unique risk in dementia, plus their basic risk of metabolic syndrome
• Monitor labs and EKG

The risk-benefit ratio ...