Waist-Height ratio Highlights Detrimental Risk for Olanzapine Associated Weight Gain Earlier than Body Mass Index.

Abstract

Patients with psychotic mental disorders, including schizophrenia, often exhibit poor dietary choices and low levels of physical activity, contributing to a higher prevalence of obesity compared to the general population. This study recruited 100 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia who had been receiving Olanzapine antipsychotic medication for at least three months, alongside 100 healthy volunteers for comparison. The average age of the schizophrenia patients was 35.56 ± 9.95 years, with a higher proportion of females in both groups. Our findings revealed significantly higher rates of abnormal Body Mass Index (BMI) (X² = 17.06, P = 0.000036; OR = 4.58, CI = 2.16–9.74) and abnormal waist-height ratio (WHtR) (X² = 35.57, P = 2.46E-9; OR = 6.37, CI = 3.39–12.00) among the schizophrenia patients compared to the healthy volunteers. Notably, BMI identified 43.3% of the schizophrenia patients as having concerning weight changes, whereas WHtR identified 64.7%, indicating that WHtR is a more sensitive measure. This discrepancy means that an additional 21.4% of schizophrenia patients would benefit from weight management guidance based on WHtR rather than BMI. Our results underscore the critical importance of WHtR in assessing adiposity among schizophrenia patients treated with Olanzapine, highlighting its value as a tool for monitoring and managing cardiometabolic risks in this population.