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Study: Some antipsychotic drugs could increase risk of diabetes

On Behalf of | Sep 5, 2013 | Social Security Disability Benefits For Illness

According to a new study, certain antipsychotic drugs could greatly increase the risk of developing diabetes in people taking the drugs. The study, which was published in this month’s JAMA Psychiatry journal, suggests that doctors should use caution before prescribing antipsychotic mediations to people suffering from developmental disabilities.

The researchers found that atypical antipsychotics like Risperdal, Seroquel, Abilify and Zyprexa were three times more likely to cause type 2 diabetes within the first year of use compared to other psychiatric mediations. They also found that the heightened risk of diabetes appeared to linger for at least a year after the mediations were stopped.

The study involved surveying the medical records of individuals between the ages of 6 and 24 who were enrolled in Tennessee’s Medicaid program between 1996 and 2007. Of those studied, close to 29,000 had been prescribed antipsychotics while the other 14,400 individuals were prescribed other types of psychiatric drugs.

This study demontrates that one disabling condition can often lead to others, whether as a result of drugs taken for the first condition or as a separate manifestation of disability or illness. In other words, people who have been diagnosed with one serious condition often end up having to battle others as well.

When the conditions are severe enough, it may impact the person’s ability to work. Luckily, individuals with disabling illnesses and conditions are often able to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits if they can prove that the conditions impair their ability to work full time.

With the financial support provided by SSD, individuals are then able to place more focus on dealing with the disabling conditions they are suffering from.

Source: DisabilityScoop.com, “Study Finds Antipsychotics Triple Diabetes Risk,” Shaun Heasley, Aug. 27, 2013

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