Accumulation rate of advanced glycation end products in recent onset psychosis: A longitudinal study

Schizophrenia is associated with excessive oxidative stress. Production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the skin is strongly associated with oxidative stress. Increased skin AGE-levels have been demonstrated at cross-sectional level in recent onset psychosis and chronic schizophrenia, indicating increased cardiovascular risk. We aimed to investigate factors underlying AGE-accumulation and accumulation rate of AGEs in recent onset psychosis. From December 2016 through May 2017, 66 patients and 160 (highly educated) healthy controls from a previous case-control study of AGE-levels were assessed for a follow-up measurement 12-24 months after baseline. Possible determinants of AGE-accumulation were analyzed. AGE-accumulation rates in patients and controls were compared adjusted for relevant confounders. In healthy controls, a significant association of AGE-accumulation with ethnicity and tobacco exposure was found. An indication of a markedly higher AGE-accumulation rate was found in patients suffering from recent onset psychosis compared to healthy controls, independent of ethnicity and tobacco smoking, but not independent of cannabis use (more prevalent in patients than controls), although results were not significant.