Metformin in Co-morbid Diabetes or Prediabetes and Serious Mental Illness
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2018-03-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Schizophrenia is associated with a lifespan shortened by 20 years, due to cardiovascular
disease (CVD), with antipsychotic (AP) medications understood to contribute to this risk
through associated metabolic side-effects. Metformin, a medication used to treat prediabetes,
and diabetes in the general population, holds promise with regard to reduction of AP-related
metabolic problems, but has not been directly tested in early episode patients beyond weight
loss, nor specifically in patients with diabetes or prediabetes and psychosis. We propose to
replicate findings that metformin can reduce weight gain, and dysglycemia uniquely focusing
on an early episode population diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes. To help determine
long-term risk/benefit of adjunctive metformin, we propose to look at changes in abdominal
and liver fat, two well-established risk factors for CVD. Given links between dysglycemia,
obesity with hippocampal volume loss and cognitive dysfunction, we will explore if
improvements in metabolic indices are associated in changes in cognition and brain structure.