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  • In adults with intellectual disability, discontinuation of antipsychotics is associated with reduction in weight, BMI, waist circumference and blood pressure

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Care of people with learning disabilities
Cohort study
In adults with intellectual disability, discontinuation of antipsychotics is associated with reduction in weight, BMI, waist circumference and blood pressure
  1. Pierre Chue
  1. Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
  1. Correspondence to : Professor Pierre Chue, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, 9942-108 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5K 2J5; pchue{at}ualberta.ca

https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2013-101548

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    Commentary on: de Kuijper G, Mulder H, Evenhuis H, et al. Effects of controlled discontinuation of long-term used antipsychotics on weight and metabolic parameters in individuals with intellectual disability. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2013;33:520–4.OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed

    Implications for practice and research

    • Improvement in metabolic parameters can occur after discontinuation or dose reduction of antipsychotics.

    • Discontinuation of antipsychotics does not result in worsening of behaviours in the majority of patients.

    • Patients should be regularly reviewed with respect to the appropriateness of current antipsychotic regimens.

    Context

    The prevalence of psychotropic drug use, particularly antipsychotics in patients with intellectual disability (ID), is high. The use of such agents for behavioural control frequently represents off-label use and is not supported by current guidelines.1 Certain psychiatric populations are very …

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    Footnotes

    • Competing interests None.