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General-medical conditions in older patients with serious mental illness
Amy M Kilbourne1, Jack R Cornelius, Xiaoyan Han
1VA Pittsburgh Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (151-C), University Drive C, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA. Amy.Kilbourne@med.va.gov
Objective:
The burden of medical comorbidities was compared between older (> or =60 years) and younger patients with serious mental illness.
Methods:
Patients (N=8,083) diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder in 2001 were identified from VA facilities in the mid-Atlantic region. Medical comorbidities were identified by an ICD-9-based clinical classification algorithm.
Results:
Older, versus younger, patients were more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions, and less likely to be diagnosed with substance-use disorders or hepatic conditions.
Conclusions:
More aggressive detection and management of general-medical comorbidities in older patients with serious mental illness is paramount.
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