The Impact of High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) Levels and Risk of Movement Disorders in Patients Taking Antipsychotics.

Introduction: Well-known adverse events of antipsychotics are movement disorders, or extrapyramidal symptoms, such as drug-induced parkinsonism and tardive dyskinesia.

Objective: With new evidence suggesting a link between low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and risk of Parkinson's disease, this study sought to investigate if that link also translated to patients taking antipsychotics with low HDL-C and an increased risk for developing a movement disorder.

Design: Adult patients (n=89) at an inpatient state psychiatric facility taking at least one antipsychotic with at least one HDL-C level were assessed for signs of a movement disorder through their history and physical, progress notes, and Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) score.

Results: There was no statistical significance when comparing a patient's movement disorder, AIMS scores, and HDL-C levels to suggest that the HDL-C level influenced a patient's movement disorder.

Conclusion: This study did not show a correlation between HDL-C levels and a patient's risk of developing a movement disorder while taking an antipsychotic.