[Schizophrenia, diabetes and new neuroleptics]

Diabetes mellitus occurs more frequently in schizophrenic patients. The use of a novel antipsychotic drug seems to be concomitant to a further increase in imbalance of blood glucose homeostasis. Such cases have already been reported in the literature indicating that diabetes mellitus might be a real side effect of this novel class of neuroleptics. In conclusion, it seems that schizophrenic patients under such treatment would greatly benefit from a closer clinical and biological follow up regarding glucose metabolism. Further randomised studies would be needed.