According to new Irish guidelines, psychiatrists should prescribe metformin to patients to experience weight gain after starting antipsychotic drug therapy. The documents were presented during the sessions of the 35th Argentine Congress of psychiatry of the Association of Argentine psychiatrists, 2022. According to the documents, the psychiatrists should not underestimate the adverse metabolic outcome of their treatment and should ensure the inclusion of preventive and management strategies in the regimen, stated Maria Deliya Michat, Ph.D., professor of clinical psychiatry and psychopharmacology at the APSA Postgraduate Training Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

According to her, obesity rates are 40% more in schizophrenia patients in comparison to the general population with 80% of patients gaining weight right after their first treatment. She stressed the seriousness of the situation stating that schizophrenia patients are already diagnosed with depression, or bipolar disorder and have a high risk of premature mortality, especially from Cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.

Several clinical trials such as a Chinese study from 2008 have proved the potential of Metformin in mitigating weight gain. The new clinical practice guidelines published in the Evidence-Based Mental Health Journal state that Metformin is an alternative first-line intervention for antipsychotic drug-induced weight gain. Other recommendations include evaluation of baseline kidney functions before starting Metformin treatment such as estimated Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), Vitamin B12 levels, etc. 

(Source: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/974882?src= )