Relative risk of diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and the metabolic syndrome in people with severe mental illnesses: Systematic review and metaanalysis
2008

Cardiovascular Risks in People with Severe Mental Illness

Sample size: 9612 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): David PJ Osborn, Christine A Wright, Gus Levy, Michael B King, Raman Deo, Irwin Nazareth

Primary Institution: University College London Medical School

Hypothesis

There are differences in the risk of abnormal glucose, blood pressure, or lipid abnormalities between people with and without severe mental illness.

Conclusion

Diabetes is more common in people with severe mental illness, while data on other risk factors were limited by poor quality or inconsistent research findings.

Supporting Evidence

  • Diabetes prevalence in people with severe mental illness was found to be significantly higher.
  • No significant association was found between severe mental illness and hypertension.
  • Meta-analysis revealed a pooled risk ratio of 1.70 for diabetes in severe mental illness.

Takeaway

People with severe mental illness are more likely to have diabetes, but not necessarily high blood pressure or cholesterol issues.

Methodology

Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing cardiovascular risk factors in people with and without severe mental illness.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to differential screening rates for cardiovascular risk factors in people with and without severe mental illness.

Limitations

Many studies were small and lacked adequate comparison data, compromising the generalizability of findings.

Participant Demographics

Participants included individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar affective disorder.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.001

Confidence Interval

1.21 to 2.37

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-244X-8-84

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