Adiposity and Cardiometabolic Risk in Children With and Without Antipsychotic Drug Treatment

Context: Pediatric obesity is common, particularly in children treated with antipsychotic medications. Antipsychotic exposure can increase cardiometabolic risk by increasing adiposity, and possibly via other adiposity-independent pathways. Objective: The objectives were to characterize relationships of adiposity with intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) content and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) in children with and without antipsychotic drug treatment, and to explore whether vitamin D alters any effects in these relationships. Design: This was a cross-sectional case-control study. Setting: The setting was an academic medical center. Patients or Other participants: Participants were 44 children (ages, 6–19 y): 25 cases treated with antipsychotic and other psychotropic drug therapies and 19 untreated controls, frequency-matched on age, gender, and body mass index. Main Outcome Measures: Main outcome measures were dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry percentage body fat (DEXA %fat), IHTG measured by magnetic...