Awareness of Metabolic Concerns and Perceived Impact of Pharmacotherapy in Patients with Bipolar Disorder: A Survey of 500 US Psychiatrists

ABSTRACT ~ Objective: An online survey was conducted to assess psychiatrists ’ familiarity with the metabolic syndrome and its components in patients with bipolar disorder, and char-acterize their perspectives and practices regarding its impact on patient management. Methods: Participants were US psychiatrists from a random sample of those in the AMA database. Qualified respondents practiced 4–30 years, spent 50 % of their time in direct patient care, and treated 25 bipolar patients in the last month. Results were collected and tabulated by Harris Interactive ® from Nov–Dec 2005. Results: Five hundred psychiatrists qualified and completed the survey, and 50 respondents also participated in follow-up interviews. Most respondents (94%) viewed metabolic syndrome as a signifi-cant health risk requiring monitoring and treatment. While 76 % have diagnosed it, only 28 % correctly identified the five NCEP diagnostic criteria. Medication adverse effects of greatest concern were weight gain, glucose intolerance, and dyslipidemia. During treat-ment, 78 % of respondents reported monitoring weight, 69 % glucose, 61 % lipids, an