New article: Pharmacological interventions to manage cardiometabolic outcomes in adults with severe mental illness: umbrella review

People living with severe mental illness (SMI) experience a shorter life expectancy and poorer physical health than those without SMI. Cardiometabolic illness accounts for a significant proportion of this health inequality. Pharmacological management could reduce the noted inequalities; this umbrella review aimed to synthesise evidence from systematic reviews for pharmacological interventions to manage cardiometabolic outcomes in adults with SMI. Thirty-three systematic reviews were included following screening of 1723 titles. Metformin, the most commonly studied intervention (n = 18), was effective in preventing and treating weight gain, dyslipidaemia (total cholesterol and triglycerides) and dysglycaemia. Topiramate and glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists demonstrated efficacy in treating weight gain, but the effect across other parameters was less consistent. Licensed treatments, such as statins for dyslipidaemia, were reviewed in low numbers (n = 2). Nicotine replacement, bupropion and varenicline were effective for smoking cessation, an outcome that can significantly lower cardiometabolic risk. The full article can be accessed here.