In their latest study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the team randomly assigned 39 subjects, ages 10 to 17, whose weight had increased more than 10 percent during the first year on olanzapine, risperidone, or quetiapine, to metformin (sold as Glucophage and Fortamet) or placebo for 16 weeks.

Metformin or placebo was given at the evening meal for one week, after which time a second dose was added before breakfast. After the second week, the dose at breakfast and dinner was increased for the remainder of the study.

Children taking metformin saw their weight stabilize, while those taking placebo continued to gain weight, the authors report.

Waist circumference decreased in metformin-treated subjects, indicating a decreased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Because the study involved growing children, the metformin treatment allowed the subjects to approach a normal weight and body mass index, the investigators also report.

Metformin further decreased the children's risk of diabetes by lowering insulin resistance and having favorable effects on sugar metabolism. It was also well tolerated and no adverse effects were attributed to the drug.

"For the many pediatric patients now taking atypical antipsychotics, and, by implication, adults, there is now a treatment for the weight gain associated with these agents," Klein concluded.

SOURCE: American Journal of Psychiatry, December 2006.

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Testosterone increases strength in older men

Last Updated: 2006-12-01 16:37:25 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Testosterone replacement therapy produces a moderate increase in muscle strength in elderly men, according a review study reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

This is the first quantitative research that has focused on evaluating the effect of testosterone on the strength of older men who were randomly assigned to a treatment, the contains of which was not revealed to either the patient or physician, say Dr. Kenneth J. Ottenbacher, from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, and colleagues.

Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the effect of testosterone therapy on muscle strength. The results of an earlier review suggested only a modest increase in strength with testosterone use, but, as the researchers pointed out, this analysis was not based on the strongest type of trial design.

The current review involved 474 older men who participated in 11 trials. All of the subjects were healthy and at least 65 years of age.

Treatment with testosterone moderately increased muscle strength, the authors found. However, the effect size was greatly diminished after excluding one of the studies from the analysis.

According to the report, testosterone therapy had a greater impact on lower extremity rather than upper extremity muscle strength.

"This investigation provides information regarding an important topic on which research is needed to help inform clinical decision-making and planning for future clinical trials," Ottenbacher's team concludes.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatric Society, November 2006.

Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.