Project Summary

Emilio Fernandez-Egea, M.D. (Young Investigator 2004) of the Hospital Clinic Barcelona, notes that people with schizophrenia have an increased risk of type-2 diabetes independently of the risk of getting the disorder by taking certain antipsychotic drugs. To study the relationship between schizophrenia and diabetes, Dr. Fernandez-Egea, will measure HgbAlc, a marker of glucose regulation; fasting glucose and insulin, and a perform glucose tolerance test; and C-reactive protein and IL6. Each will assess, respectively, retrospective, contemporaneous and prospective risk of the disease. Dr. Fernandez-Egea will include three control groups in the study--nonpsychiatric volunteers, patients with a depressive episode, and patients with adjustment disorder--to determine the contribution of stress-induced and depression-related hypercortisolemia to glucose dysregulation. A second study will also examine the risk of glucose dysregulation in individuals taking the antipsychotic drug olanzapine. Subjects with schizophrenia who participated in the first study will take olanzapine for 12 weeks and have their glucose regulation monitored every four weeks.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS\Schizophrenia

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