Prevalence and awareness of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study in a low cardiovascular disease risk geographical area.

OBJECTIVE

Prevalence of cardiovascular disease is high in schizophrenia. Our aim is to estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) among schizophrenia patients.

METHOD

National cross-sectional study in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia under treatment with second generation antipsychotics and admitted to short-stay hospitalisation units.

RESULTS

A sample of 733 consecutively admitted patients was enrolled; the most prevalent CVRFs were smoking 71% (95% CI: 67-74%) and hypercholesterolemia 66% (61-70%) followed by hypertriglyceridemia 26% (26-32%), hypertension 18% (15-21%) and diabetes 5% (4-7%). Metabolic syndrome showed 19% (95% CI: 16-23%) prevalence or, according to updated definitions (Clin Cornerstone 7 [2005] 36-45), 24% (95% CI: 20-28%). The rate of patients within the high-risk range of a 10-year fatal cardiovascular event was 6.5%. CVRFs under routine management were diabetes (60%), hypertension (28%) and, to a lesser extent, dyslipemia (14%). Treatment for CVRFs was associated to gender, men for hypertension OR = 25.34, p < 0.03 and women for diabetes OR = 0.02, p < 0.03.

CONCLUSION

We found that CVRFs in schizophrenia were prevalent and under-diagnosed, and thus with insufficient therapeutic management.