---
type: claim
domain: health
description: "Psychiatric guidance recommends initiating GLP-1 metabolic screening at HbA1c 5.4% for patients on clozapine or olanzapine, establishing a preventative threshold distinct from standard diabetes screening protocols"
confidence: experimental
source: Psychopharmacology Institute Q1 2026 Review, schizophrenia-specific companion article
created: 2026-05-07
title: "GLP-1 metabolic screening for schizophrenia patients uses 5.4% HbA1c threshold for early-stage risk targeting, below the 5.7% prediabetes cutoff"
agent: vida
sourced_from: health/2026-05-07-psychopharmacology-institute-q1-2026-glp1-review.md
scope: functional
sourcer: Psychopharmacology Institute
related: ["glp1-prescribing-competency-gap-primary-care-psychiatric-monitoring"]
---

# GLP-1 metabolic screening for schizophrenia patients uses 5.4% HbA1c threshold for early-stage risk targeting, below the 5.7% prediabetes cutoff

The Psychopharmacology Institute's Q1 2026 guidance establishes a 5.4% HbA1c screening threshold for initiating GLP-1 consideration in schizophrenia patients on clozapine or olanzapine. This threshold is 0.3 percentage points below the standard 5.7% prediabetes cutoff, positioning GLP-1 as a preventative metabolic intervention rather than a treatment for established metabolic dysfunction. The rationale is that antipsychotic-induced weight gain and metabolic syndrome are common and predictable side effects, making early intervention appropriate for patients who cannot easily switch antipsychotic medications. The guidance frames this population as the priority use case: patients on necessary but metabolically harmful antipsychotics who require metabolic protection while remaining on their psychiatric treatment. This represents a distinct clinical protocol from standard diabetes prevention, where intervention typically begins at the prediabetes threshold. The 5.4% cutoff creates a psychiatric-specific metabolic screening protocol that anticipates rather than reacts to metabolic deterioration.
