Children taking the drugs Abilify, Seroquel, Risperdal and Zyprexa is making them more susceptible to developing type-2 diabetes, according to research from Vanderbilt University and published yesterday in JAMA Psychiatry.
The study followed children on Medicaid between the ages of 6 and 25 in Tennessee. Researchers tracked the health of these children over a 12-year period and found that they were nearly three times as likely to develop type-2 diabetes. What is more unsettling is that the risk was present after children had been on the drugs for only one year and the risk did not go away after ceasing to take the drug.
“Regrettably, it is not an uncommon thing for risks and complications with a drug to be discovered by the public at large after the drug has been on the market,” commented Daniel Nigh, an attorney with the Levin, Papantonio law firm who practices in the areas of personal injury and bad drug litigation. “Even more regrettable is that it is often found out later that the company producing the drug knew about the risks and neglected to inform patients and physicians.”
The findings are acutely important to note given the relatively recent influx of prescriptions issued for the drugs. Physicians have begun using the drugs to treat hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders in addition to using them to treat conditions like schizophrenia. The expanded application of the drugs puts more children at risk for developing type-2 diabetes.
The findings related to antipsychotic drugs show a similarity to the growing evidence that indicates there is a tie between Lipitor and type-2 diabetes. New research an ongoing investigations across the nation are resulting in filing of numerous Lipitor lawsuits. Research from the University of Massachusetts found that women taking Lipitor or other drugs in the class known as statins, which are intended to help regulate cholesterol, we up to 50% more likely to develop type-2 diabetes. Investigations are still being performed into the potential damage caused by the associated risk.
Joshua is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. Follow him on Twitter @Joshual33.
