«ΨΥΧΟΛΟΓΙΑ έρευνα & εφαρμογές» Τόμος 1, Τεύχος 3, 2018 ISSN: 2623-3673
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MELATONIN AND ITS RECEPTOR AGONISTS IN
THE TREATMENT OF METABOLIC ADVERSE EFFECTS OF SECOND
GENERATION ANTI-PSYCHOTICS
SUMMARY
The effectiveness of second-generation antipsychotic drugs has led to their
widespread use in psychiatric clinical practice over the last decades. However, it is
known that their use may lead to the development of significant metabolic disorders.
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is one of the main reasons for increased mortality in
patients with schizophrenia. Consequently, it is essential to monitor cardiovascular
and metabolic risk factors during antipsychotic medication and to treat metabolic
syndrome with either pharmaceutical or dietary interventions. Within these
pharmaceutical interventions, recent studies have been made on agents that can be
coadministered with SGA's to reduce their metabolic side effects. One such agent is
the hormone melatonin and its agonists (agomelatine, piromelatine, ramelteon,
tasimelteon). This review evaluates the efficacy of melatonin and its agonists for the
metabolic side effects of second-generation antipsychotics. Of the most studies
used, it appears that the use of melatonin and its agonists, mainly of ramelteon, has
some superiority in the effect on lowering the mean systolic blood pressure of
patients in long-term SGA administration. With regard to its effectiveness with
respect to the other parameters of the metabolic syndrome, there is no clear
superiority. In any case, the bibliographic data are currently limited and further
systematic studies are needed to investigate the efficacy of both melatonin and
agonists and potential other factors (regardless of dietary interventions and
exercise) on the metabolic side effects of the second generation antipsychotics.