The development of the newer second-generation or atypical
antipsychotic drugs has provided benefits to many people
with schizophrenia. These are mainly related to their
lower risk of extrapyramidal side effects compared with
traditional antipsychotics, and their greater efficacy in
treating the negative and affective symptoms of psychoses.
However, the atypical antipsychotics have been linked to a
number of serious side effects, including obesity, hyperlipidaemia,
type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic ketoacidosis.
Together, these comprise the potentially life-threatening
syndrome referred to as the metabolic syndrome (Henderson
et al. 2005).
This review article provides an overview of the metabolic
syndrome, its association with schizophrenia, and the
underlying mechanisms of the disorder. This article also
discusses the clinical implications of this syndrome for
mental health nurses and proposes a set of guidelines for
use by clinicians managing people with schizophrenia who
are prescribed the second-generation antipsychotic drugs.