Endocrine Abstracts

Background: The high prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in schizophrenia has been increasingly recognized in the mental health literature in recent years. The MS is a cluster of the most dangerous known cardiac risk factors (diabetes and prediabetes, abdominal obesity, high cholesterol level, and high blood pressure ‘BP’; according to the International Diabetes Federation Criteria, 2007). The existence of an increased mortality risk among people with mental illness due to physical health factors has been demonstrated by several authors. Poor diet, lack of exercise, negative symptoms, stress, smoking, and abnormalities in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis have all been proposed as precursors to the link.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of predictors of metabolic syndrome in a sample of Egyptian patients with schizophrenia attending Ain Shams University Psychiatry Hospital.

Method: Sixty-three patients attending Ain Shams University Psychiatry Hospital were screened for the following: age, gender, waist circumference, blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein level, low-density lipoprotein level, blood sugar levels, total cholesterol level, triglycerides level, weight, body mass index, insulin resistance level, length of time on antipsychotics, antipsychotics dose, smoking status, family history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and personal history of polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Results: Sixty-three patients were screened for metabolic syndrome using the International Diabetes Federation’s (2007) definition. Twenty-four (38.09%) patients met the criteria for the syndrome. Increased waist circumference, higher body mass index, raised triglycerides level, increased blood sugar level, older age, which emerged as significant predictors of metabolic syndrome in the sample. Thirty-nine (61.91%) patients did not meet the full criteria for the syndrome; however, Thirty-one out of these 39 patients (49.2%) had 1–2 criterion of the syndrome.

Conclusion: This study adds further support for the systematic screening for metabolic syndrome in patients receiving antipsychotic drugs. The need for intervention programs that screen for and address the modifiable risk factors of metabolic syndrome is recommended.