PHARMACOLOGICAL AND DISORDER ASSOCIATED CARDIOVASCULAR CHANGES IN PATIENTS WITH PSYCHOSIS. A COMPARISON BETWEEN OLANZAPINE AND RISPERIDONE

Patients receiving antipsychotic medication present a high risk of cardiovascular complications due either to medication or to the disorder itself. This study compares the cardiovascular risk factors and echocardiographic parameters in two samples of outpatients with psychosis treated for at least 2 months with long acting injectable olanzapine or risperidone. We assessed the socio- demographic data, the cardiovascular risk factors, and the echocardiographic parameters. Subjects receiving risperidone had significantly more frequent regional myocardial contractility abnormalities (chi(2) = 6.896, p = 0.009) and diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle than those on olanzapine (chi(2) = 5.416, p = 0.02), and were more frequently hypertensive. Patients with associated mood stabilizers presented more abnormalities related to the contractile function of the left ventricle than those receiving only antipsychotic treatment (chi(2) = 4.138, p = 0.042). There were no differences between the two samples concerning tobacco use or the presence of the metabolic syndrome.