Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that impairs cognitive function, emotions, and behavior. Antipsychotic drugs, a cornerstone of treatment, may affect blood cell counts during long-term use, potentially increasing the risk of complications such as infection or anemia, though evidence remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of long-term antipsychotic therapy on white blood cell counts in patients with schizophrenia, categorized by the type of antipsychotic medication used.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 119 patients with schizophrenia at Vasei Hospital in Sabzevar, Iran, in 2022 . After obtaining informed consent, data on long-term antipsychotic medication use were extracted from medical records. Patients were then categorized into seven groups based on the type of antipsychotic medication: clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, clozapine and risperidone, risperidone and olanzapine, and risperidone and quetiapine. Venous blood samples (5 mL) were collected for complete blood cell count (CBC) analysis. The mean values of WBCs, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, and platelets were compared across the seven groups using the Kruskal Wallis test.
Findings: No statistically significant differences were observed in the counts of WBCs, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, and platelets across the seven antipsychotic groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that long-term use of the studied antipsychotic medications does not significantly affect blood cell counts, regardless of the specific type or combination of antipsychotics used. Further research is needed to confirm these results and explore potential hematological effects in diverse patient populations undergoing prolonged antipsychotic therapy.