The Cardiovascular Effect of Risperidone

OBJECTIVES: Risperidone is a new antipsychotic drug developed to overcome the therapeutic limitation of conventional antipsychotics. It responses to negative as well as positive symptoms by blocking both dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors, causing no significant side effects such as agranulocytosis and seizure. It is, however, not known whether it induces any serious cardiovascular side effects as evoked by other conventional antipsychotic drugs. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of risperidone on cardiovascular function, and to discuss the factors affecting the cardiovascular function. METHODS: For 42 patients(22 males and 20 females) diagnosed as schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder or schizoaffective disorder according to the DSM-IV classification, the cardiovascular fuctions such as heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, PR interval, QRS interval and QT inerval were successively checked before and after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone administration. Furthermore, variables such as body weight, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS), Clinical Global Impression(CGE), Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale(ESRS), Anticholinergic Rating Scale(ARS), serum cholesterol level, serum triglyceride level, serum high-density-lipoprotein level, serum WBC, serum Hb, serum platelet level, prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time were also analyzed before and after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone administration. RESULTS: 1) Risperidone treatment resulted in a significantly decreased heart rate and increased QT interval after 4 weeks administration(p<0.005 respectively). 2) The scores of BPRS and CGI were significantly decreased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone adminisration as compared with baseline(p<0.001 respectively). The scores of ESRS and ASRS were significantly increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone administration as compared with baseline(p<0.001 respectively). 3) There were positive correlations between heart rate after 4 weeks and total dose(p<0.05). Blood pressure was significantly(p<0.05) correlated with sex(higher in male) and significantly(p<0.05) positive correlated with body weight. QT interval was significantly(p<0.05) correlated with sex(longer in female) and smoking history(shorter in smokers). CONCLUSIONS: Risperidone could induce significant change in heart rate and Q-T interval. Therefore, the cardiovascular safety for risperidone should be reconsidered according to the duration and dosage increase.

Evaluation of Ovarian Tumors by RMI(risk of malignancy index); -Based on Serum CA-125, Ultrasound Findings and Menopausal Status / 대한산부인과학회잡지

The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate the efficacy of RMI(risk of malignancy index) as a preoperative predictive screening method in ovarian tumors. The RMI was calculated by the following formula; -RMI=The ultrasonographic score(0, 1, or 3) x serum CA-125 level x menopausal status score(1 or 3). The preoperative RMI was obtained from 69 cases of ovarian tumors operated from July 1993 to March 1996 at the Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pusan Paik Hosp. Reviewing the histopathological diagnosis of surgical specimen, using RMI cut-off value of 200, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of RMI was obtained and compared with CA-125 value and sonographic scores, respectively. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The sensitivity of RMI was 67.7%, it was lower than that of serum CA-125 value(74.0%) and ultrasonographic score(80.6%)(P=0.535). 2. The specificity of RMI was 100%, it was higher than that of serum CA-125 value(81.6 %) and ultrasonographic score(84.2%)(P=0.006). 3. The positive predictive value of RMI was 100%, it was higher than that of serum CA-125 value(76.7%) and ultrasonographic score(80.6%)(P=0.047). 4. The negative predictive value of RMI was 79.2%, it was lower than that of CA-125 value(79.5%) and ultraconographic score(84.2%)(P=0.83). In conclusion, the RMI could be a useful screening method to discriminate a benign from malignant ovarian tumors prior to operation.