Guidelines versus practice in screening and monitoring of cardiometabolic risks in patients taking antipsychotic medications: where do we stand?

Despite the known benefits of antipsychotic medications, they have been associated with increased risks of cardiometabolic side effects. Antipsychotic-induced adverse cardiometabolic effects, such as weight gain, high blood pressure, alterations in glucose metabolism and lipid dysregulation, are well-recognised risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and diabetes.1 Clinical guidelines call for regular physical health assessments and laboratory monitoring as a means to prevent and detect adverse cardiometabolic effects of antipsychotic medications. However, recent evidence suggests that cardiovascular conditions remain the key causes of death among people using antipsychotic medications, suggesting suboptimal screening and monitoring practices. Suboptimal cardiometabolic screening among antipsychotic users can hinder the early detection of high-risk people and delay receiving proper management.