Analysis of some Serum Constituents of Haloperidol Treated Patients.

الملخص

Patients who receive antipsychotic drugs are more susceptible to dyslipidemia and weight gain due to the metabolic
side effects of these drugs. The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of haloperidol used alone
or in combination with other antipsychotic drugs on serum lipid profile.
65 admitted patients into Al-Razi Hospital for psychiatric diseases in Tripoli city of Libya were enrolled in the study.
Patients were divided into two groups. One group had received haloperidol for a short-term duration (less than 12
months), and the other group, had received haloperidol for a long-term duration (more than 2 years). Both groups
have been divided into two subgroups, one subgroup treated with haloperidol only and the other subgroup of
patients treated with haloperidol plus other antipsychotic drugs. Serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and fasting
blood glucose (FBG) were measured in the hospital laboratory.
In this study, we could detect a significant difference between FBG in patients treated with haloperidol plus other
antipsychotics for the long-term (97±17 mg/dl) and those patients treated with haloperidol plus other antipsychotics
for short-term duration (88±9 mg/dl). Also, the difference in cholesterol levels between these two groups is significant
(p=0.01), patients treated with haloperidol and other drugs for a long duration have higher serum cholesterol
levels than patients treated with haloperidol and other drugs for a short duration. We also found a higher level of
serum triglycerides in patients treated with haloperidol with other drugs for a long duration than those treated with
haloperidol and other drugs for a short duration. The study found that, haloperidol is the most commonly used anti
psychiatric drug in al Razi Psychiatric Hospital in Tripoli city of Libya.
Conclusion: Antipsychotic drugs including haloperidol if used for a long duration can result in an increase of FBG
and serum cholesterol and triglycerides. Therefore, the blood lipid profile of patients treated with antipsychotic
drugs should be investigated periodically.