A Comparison of Risperidone-Induced Weight Gain Across the Age Span

A systematic and comprehensive literature search was performed to determine the extent of weight gain induced by risperidone (RIS) treatment across the age span. The review and pooled data analyses were based on double-blind, open trial, and case series studies containing findings on drug dose, age of subjects, weight gain, duration of treatment, and if available, baseline body weight, body mass index, and the percent of subjects experiencing a prominent RIS-induced weight gain. Drug-induced weight gain per month for youths was defined as recorded weight gain minus the age-expected weight gain. The major findings from pooled data were (1) preadolescent youths received a smaller average daily dose and lower mg/kg/d dose of RIS than adolescents, and adolescents in turn had lower mg/kg/d doses than middle-aged adults; (2) RIS-induced weight gain as a percentage of baseline body weight was most pronounced in the preadolescent years and decreased with advancing age; (3) adults over age 65 experienced little to no RIS-induced weight gain; and (4) RIS treatment led to consistently greater body mass index percentage increases for youths than for adults. Available data thus suggest that across the age span, youths are the most sensitive to weight gain induced by a commonly prescribed second-generation neuroleptic.