First‐episode affective psychosis and lipid monitoring: survival analysis of the first abnormal lipid test

AIM: This study aimed to assess the probability of developing a lipid test abnormality over time, among first-time users of antipsychotic medications with affective psychosis. METHODS: Survival analysis was used to analyse data from an early intervention in psychosis programme for the first 53 consecutive and eligible cases of patients between the ages of 14 and 40 years who had a diagnosis of affective psychosis. Data on initiation of antipsychotic medications and lipid laboratory test results were abstracted from chart reviews. RESULTS: Within the first 18 months of receiving antipsychotic medications, the probability of surviving without an abnormal lipid test was only 25% (confidence interval 95%: 13.1%, 40.4%). The median time to the development of an abnormal test was 8 months for males and 12 months for females (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Additional studies are needed to document the incidence over time of abnormal lipid tests to inform clinicians about the optimal frequency of monitoring.