Comparison of the effects of antipsychotic and combined with non-invasive brain stimulation on blood lipids in patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to compare the impact of antipsychotic treatment (APs) alone and a combination of antipsychotics and non-invasive brain stimulation (APNIBS) on blood lipid levels in patients with schizophrenia.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted. General demographic information and clinical and laboratory data, were collected from hospitalized patients who had received at least one lipid profile test after initiating therapy at the psychiatric hospital between January 2021 and October 2023. Lipid profiles, including triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), were measured at baseline and multiple time points during treatment. The longitudinal changes in lipid profiles within each group (from baseline to each follow-up) and the differences in these trajectories between the two groups were assessed using linear mixed-effects models.

RESULTS

A total of 1,171 patients were included (APs group: n = 704; APNIBS group: n = 467). At baseline, mean levels of TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C were within normal ranges, whereas TG was slightly elevated in the APs group. Linear mixed-effects model analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in the longitudinal trajectories of change between the two treatment groups for any lipid parameter (TG, TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C; all between-group P > 0.05). However, within-group analyses indicated divergent patterns: TG levels exhibited a progressive increase from baseline in the APs group at all follow-ups, while showing a more variable trajectory in the APNIBS group, with a increase at the second assessment after adjustment followed by decreasing trends later. Similarly, the APNIBS group demonstrated reductions from baseline in TC and LDL-C at the third and fourth tests, whereas no such reductions were observed in the APs group.

CONCLUSION

Exploratory within-group analyses revealed favorable lipid trends in the APNIBS group. However, no statistically significant between-group differences were observed in longitudinal lipid trajectories. These hypothesis-generating findings warrant further prospective investigation into the potential role of NIBS in blood lipids management in schizophrenia.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.