An open-label study of oral acetazolamide for the prevention of antipsychotic associated weight gain

BACKGROUND: Weight gain associated with atypical antipsychotic medications need to be well managed. We set out: 1. To test the effect of acetazolamide on weight gain associated with antipsychotics 2. To assess improvement in psychotic symptoms using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale score on patients receiving acetazolamide METHODS AND MATERIALS: This open-label study conducted after institutional ethical clearance from December 2018 to August 2020 included 34 drug-naive patients or patients on antipsychotic risperidone or olanzapine for less than one month. They were divided into two groups of 17 each as a case group (treatment as usual + acetazolamide) and a control group (treatment as usual) who were followed up for eight weeks. The patient’s physical characteristics were recorded at baseline and during follow-ups. The Brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and clinical global impression (CGI) scores were compared for the cases and controls. RESULTS: The study showed non-significant reduction in the weight (–0.57 ± 1.06 kg), body mass index (BMI) (–0.23 ± 0.76 kg/m(2)) and abdominal circumference (–0.47 ± 1.37 cm) in the patients receiving oral acetazolamide at the end of two months as compared to controls where there was significant increase in the weight (+2.62 ± 1.09 kg), BMI (+1.03 ± 0.44 kg/m(2)) and abdominal circumference (+2.21 ± 1.33 cm, P = 0.001). Similarly, the BPRS and CGI scores were significantly reduced in both arms, with satisfaction rates better among the cases compared to controls. CONCLUSION: There was a non-significant reduction in the weight, body mass index, abdominal circumference, and brief psychiatric rating scale scores in patients treated with acetazolamide. Ethics committee protocol number: - 2018/244 CTRI India registration number: CTRI/2019/05/018884