New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus Among Parkinsonian Patients Treated with Long-term Quetiapine

• Published in: Drug target insights 2008, Vol.2008 (3), p.DTI.S650
• Main Authors: Fernandez, Hubert H., McCown, Katie M., Romrell, Janet, Trieschmann, Martha E., Friedman, Joseph H., Jacobson, Charles E., Okun, Michael S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1177-3928; 1177-3928
• DOI: 10.4137/DTI.S650

Hubert H. Fernandez1, Katie M. McCown1, Janet Romrell1, Martha E. Trieschmann2, Joseph H. Friedman2, Charles E. Jacobson IV1 and Michael S. Okun1 1Dept. of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 2Dept. of Clinical Neurosciences, Brown University, Providence, RI. Abstract Atypical antipsychotics (AA) are commonly used to manage drug-induced psychosis (DIP) in parkinsonian patients. In the treatment of schizophrenia, AA's have been associated with increasing reports of new-onset diabetes mellitus (DM). This study examined the risk of developing new-onset DM among parkinsonian patients on long-term, low dose quetiapine. Fifty-three parkinsonian subjects (mean age: 71.3 years) taking an average quetiapine dose of 70.5 mg/day (range: 12.5-350 mg/day) for a mean duration of 21.3 months (range 3-61 months) were reviewed. Eight out of 53 subjects carried a diagnosis of DM prior to quetiapine treatment. Four out of 45 patients (8.9%) met criteria for new diagnosis of DM, giving a total prevalence rate of 22.6% (12 out of 53). This prevalence rate of 22.6% was slightly higher than that reported in the aged-matched general population (year 2003 DM prevalence = 17.3% for 65-74 years) but methodological differences could explain the difference. Larger epidemiologic studies will be needed to confirm these results as they could potentially impact a significant number of patients.