HealthDay (2/19, Norton) reported researchers “may have uncovered the reason” why antipsychotic “medications for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder cause weight gain and diabetes.” Working in the laboratory with pancreatic cells, investigators “found that dopamine influenced the production of both glucagon and insulin.” But, “when the researchers used antipsychotic medications to block the pancreatic cells’ D2-like receptors, that ramped up the production of both glucagon and insulin.” In the human “body, unchecked release of those hormones could quickly lead to a loss in insulin sensitivity and chronically high blood sugar levels.” The findings were published online Feb. 16 in the journal Translational Psychiatry.
Related Links:
— “Many Psych Meds Trigger Weight Gain, But New Research Points to Better Options ” Amy Norton, HealthDay, February 19, 2021