Cheap and widely used drugs for diabetes and heart health problems have potential for treating severe mental illness.
Studies have shown that the number of times a patient needed hospital treatment fell by a fifth when they had taken the drug. The researchers at University College London say their findings have “enormous potential”. Independent experts say the results are now needed to be tested in clinical trials. The starting point for the researchers was a list of prescribed medications that science predicts could also help patients with severe mental health disorders.
They focused on:
- type 2 diabetes drug metformin – which may alter mood
- blood pressure drugs – which may alter the calcium signalling in the brain that has been linked to bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
- anti-cholesterol drugs called statins – which may calm inflammation linked to mental health problems or help the body absorb anti-psychotic medications
Instead of testing them in trails, scientists went looking for evidence in the real world. They analysed life-long medical records of 142,691 people in Sweden who had schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other severe mental illnesses. They were compared the number of times each were admitted to a psychiatric hospital clinic when they were taking those medications and when they were not on them.
Dr Joseph Hayes, one of the researchers at UCL, said: “The paper suggests a 10-20% reduction in the number of episodes when on the medications rather than off.”
Dr Hayes wants the drug to now be tested in large clinical trials, this will give the final answer to their studies.
Dr Hayes said: “The thing to do would be to see your GP about full physical health review,”
“There’s a huge number of people that may benefit from a statin for their heart health and there’s a potential knock-on for their mental health, similarly with metformin.”
Dr James MacCabe, from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, said: “These findings are very compelling.
“The findings strongly suggest a potential role for repurposing these drugs to improve mental health outcomes.”
Studies have found people on these drugs have shown less self-harm rates of the patients. The approach has many advantages, but it could mean that when people are in a good place mentally and are less likely to be admitted to hospital. They will also be more likely to look after themselves too
