OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether clozapine induces more weight
gain than haloperidol and whether weight gain is related to clinical
improvement. METHOD: The weight and symptoms of 39 outpatients with
schizophrenia who were randomly assigned to double-blind treatment with
either clozapine or haloperidol were assessed. The weight and symptoms of
33 of the patients who chose to take clozapine during a 1-year follow-up
after the study ended were also assessed. RESULTS: The patients treated
with clozapine gained significantly more weight over baseline (7%) than the
haloperidol-treated patients (1%). Weight gain was not significantly
correlated with improvements in either positive or negative symptoms.
Fifty-eight percent of the patients followed for 1 year gained at least 10%
over their baseline weight. CONCLUSIONS: Weight gain is an important side
effect of clozapine and is unrelated to the drug's differential
antipsychotic efficacy.
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