Arterial Stiffness in Patients with Bipolar Disorder.

OBJECTIVE

Bipolar disorder (BD) is an inflammatory and metabolic disease. The disease and the drugs used to treat it may affect cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The aim of this study is to investigate arterial stiffness in patients with BD and compare them with healthy controls.

METHODS

Thirty-nine patients with BD type I in remission and 39 healthy control subjects were included in the study. Carotid and femoral artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and arterial thickness parameters were measured by Doppler ultrasonography.

RESULTS

The elastic modulus value of the carotid artery was significantly higher in the patients than in the control group ( = 0.015). Although the IMT of both carotid and femoral artery was thicker in patients than in healthy control subjects, this difference was not statistically significant ( = 0.105; = 0.391). There was a significant positive correlation between chlorpromazine equivalent dose and femoral elastic modulus value ( = 0.021, = 0.539). There was a positive correlation between lithium equivalent dose and carotid compliance; a significant negative correlation between lithium equivalent dose and carotid elastic modulus was also determined (both = 0.007, = 0.466; = 0.027, = -0.391, respectively). No predictor was observed between drug dose and arterial stiffness parameters.

CONCLUSION

Arterial stiffness might be investigated for its potential to reduce CVD risk in patients with BD. Given the established CVD complications in this patient population, further studies are needed to determine whether the results are specific to antipsychotic treatment or BD and to clarify the potential arterial protective effects of mood stabilizers.