Evdokia Anagnostou, Michael G Aman, Benjamin L Handen, Kevin B Sanders, Amy Shui, Jill A Hollway, Jessica Brian, L Eugene Arnold, Lucia Capano, Jessica A Hellings, Eric Butter, Deepali Mankad, Rameshwari Tumuluru, Jessica Kettel, Cassandra R Newsom, Stasia Hadjiyannakis, Naomi Peleg, Dina Odrobina, Sarah McAuliffe-Bellin, Pearl Zakroysky, Sarah Marler, Alexis Wagner, Taylor Wong, Eric A Macklin, Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
IMPORTANCE: Atypical antipsychotic medications are indicated for the treatment of irritability and agitation symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Unfortunately, these medications are associated with weight gain and metabolic complications that are especially troubling in children and with long-term use. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of metformin for weight gain associated with atypical antipsychotic medications in children and adolescents with ASD (defined in the protocol as DSM-IV diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger disorder, or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified), aged 6 to 17 years...
September 1, 2016: JAMA Psychiatry