Sex differences in plasma lipid profiles, but not in glucose metabolism in patients with first-episode antipsychotics-naïve schizophrenia

•FEAN patients had higher glucose metabolic data than controls.•Male patients with IGT had higher TC, TG and LDL levels alongside specific psychiatric symptoms, unlike females.•In males, BMI, TG, HDL influenced IGT, while in females, marital status and HDL played significant roles. First-episode antipsychotics-naïve schizophrenia (FEAN-SCZ) is associated with abnormalities in glucose and lipid metabolism. While sex differences in the incidence and severity of SCZ and metabolic abnormalities have been documented, the specific metabolic abnormalities between the sexes remain unclear. The study aimed to investigate sex-specific differences in plasma glycolipid profiles in FEAN-SCZ patients. A total of 172 FEAN-SCZ patients (male/female: 83/89) and 31 healthy controls (male/female: 14/17) were recruited. Psychopathology assessment was conducted using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Glycolipid profiles, including oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were examined in all participants. FEAN patients displayed significantly higher fasting and 2-hour glucose levels compared to healthy controls (both p