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Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease and Comorbid Risk Factors in Patients in Puerto Rico with Schizophrenia
Alejandro Bugarini1, Stephanie Maldonado2, Nicole Rodriguez2
1San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico; Department of Neurological Surgery, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, PA, USA.
Insights
Schizophrenia patients have higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) rates. This study in Puerto Rico found increased CVD risk, particularly ischemic heart disease, in schizophrenia patients, highlighting the need for proactive management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Schizophrenia patients face higher mortality rates, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause.
- There is a disproportionate burden of CVD among individuals with schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of CVD and other comorbidities in schizophrenia patients in Puerto Rico.
- To stratify CVD prevalence by age and gender within the schizophrenia population.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective, case-control, descriptive study was conducted from 2004-2014.
- Subjects were admitted to Dr. Federico Trilla's hospital.
- Analysis involved stratification by tobacco and alcohol use, using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia patients exhibited a higher frequency of CVDs compared to the control group.
- Ischemic heart disease was approximately four times more prevalent in schizophrenia patients.
- While CVD prevalence was 58.4% in schizophrenia patients versus 52.7% in controls, this difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Findings underscore the need for systematic approaches to manage, diagnose, and prevent comorbid risk factors in schizophrenia patients.
- Aggressive management and early diagnosis of CVD are crucial for this population.
Objective:
The mortality rate of schizophrenia patients is higher than that of the general population; cardiovascular disease (CVD) is their leading cause of death. This issue must be studied since people with schizophrenia are disproportionately burdened with CVD. Therefore, our goal was to identify the prevalence of CVD and other comorbidities, stratified by age and gender, in patients with schizophrenia living in Puerto Rico.
Methods:
A retrospective, case-control, descriptive study was conducted. Subjects in this study were admitted to Dr. Federico Trilla's hospital from 2004 through 2014 for both psychiatric- and non psychiatric conditions. The sample populations were stratified by the confounding variables of tobacco use and alcohol abuse, and the resulting stratification was analyzed with the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method.
Results:
A higher frequency of CVDs was noted in the patients with schizophrenia compared to those in the control group. Although hypertension was the most frequent pathology encountered in both groups, ischemic heart disease was approximately four times more frequent in the patients with schizophrenia. CVD represented 58.4% and 52.7% in the schizophrenia and non-schizophrenia groups, respectively, although a statistically significant difference was not observed. The prevalence of malignancies in patients without schizophrenia was higher than in patients with schizophrenia. Moreover, the prevalence of asthma was 10.9% in the control group compared to 5.3% in the schizophrenia group.
Conclusion:
These findings should motivate a systematic approach to prioritizing the aggressive management, early diagnosis, and prevention of comorbid risk factors in patients with schizophrenia.
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