Obesity and Bipolar Disorder

August 15, 2013 · Posted in Risk Factors 

obese man before and after behavior changes

David Bond presented research at the 2013 meeting of the International Society of Bipolar Disorder about the connections between obesity and the course of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder has some of the highest rates of obesity among all psychiatric illnesses. Obese patients with bipolar disorder have more episodes of depression, more suicide attempts, worse response to psychiatric medications, and more cognitive impairment between episodes of illness.

Bond also found that higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with reduced white and gray matter volume in the brain, greater cognitive impairment, increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and increased glutamate concentration in the hippocampus (which is potentially neurotoxic) and decreased NAA (a marker of neuronal integrity). Those with 7% weight gain or higher in the first year of treatment show a greater loss of volume in the frontal and temporal lobes.

Editor’s Note: These data again speak to the importance of maintaining good lifestyle habits such as proper diet and exercise to attempt to slow or prevent the development of obesity. Also avoiding medications for bipolar disorder with the greatest liability for weight gain and using some that can help with weight loss would be good topics for discussion with a treating physician.

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