Drugs used to treat high blood pressure, high lipids, diabetes could benefit people suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and non-affective psychosis.

‘Widely used, safe and cheap medications could benefit patients suffering from serious mental illnesses in various ways.’
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In this research, conducted with the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, and the University of Hong Kong, researchers analysed patients' health records relating to self-harm and psychiatric hospitalisation, and assessed whether these episodes occurred during a period when patients were taking the prescribed medication or in periods when they were not.Read More..





The study found that exposure to any of the study drugs was associated with reduced rates of psychiatric hospitalisation compared with unexposed periods. Self-harm was reduced in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia during exposure to all study drugs and in patients with non-affective psychosis taking L-type calcium channel antagonists.
Lead author, Dr Joseph Hayes (UCL Psychiatry), said: "Serious mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, are associated with high levels of morbidity and are challenging to treat.
"Many widely used drugs, such as statins, have long been identified as having the potential for repurposing to benefit these disorders.
"This study is the first to use large population data sets to compare patient's exposure to these commonly used drugs and the potential effects on people with serious mental illnesses.
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"Given these drugs are commonly used and well-known to doctors they should be further investigated as repurposed agents for psychiatric symptoms."
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Dr Hayes added: "All three studied drugs are globally licensed, commonly used, cheap, and relatively safe medications. They are therefore ideal candidates for repurposing.
"If substantiated, this study has considerable implications for clinical practice and drug development." The studied drugs effects on patients were independent of whether patients were on or off drugs aimed at treating their SMI (such as antipsychotic medication or mood stabilisers).
Source-Eurekalert