Predicting Weight Gain in Schizophrenia Patients on Olanzapine
Author Information
Author(s): Ilya Lipkovich, Jennie G. Jacobson, Thomas A. Hardy, Vicki Poole Hoffmann
Primary Institution: Eli Lilly and Company
Hypothesis
Can early weight gain during olanzapine treatment predict later substantial weight gain in patients with schizophrenia?
Conclusion
Early weight gain during olanzapine treatment can effectively predict substantial weight gain after approximately 30 weeks.
Supporting Evidence
- Negative predictive values suggest approximately 88% of patients who gain less than 2 kg by Week 3 will gain less than 10 kg after 26–34 weeks of treatment.
- Positive predictive values ranged from 30.1% to 73.5% for early weight gain predictions.
- Similar analyses for BMI increase showed comparable predictive values.
Takeaway
If a patient gains a little weight in the first few weeks of taking olanzapine, it can help doctors guess if they will gain a lot of weight later.
Methodology
Post-hoc analysis of clinical trial data from two studies involving olanzapine-treated patients.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias due to patient dropouts not included in the analysis.
Limitations
The study's endpoints do not represent true long-term treatment, and results may be affected by confounding variables.
Participant Demographics
Predominantly male, predominantly Caucasian, with similar mean ages and baseline BMIs.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
CI 0.978–0.992
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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