Cardiovascular events in hospitalised patients with schizophrenia: a survival analysis

Comparison of frontal QRS-T angle in patients with schizophrenia and healthy volunteers

Cardiovascular diseases are the most prominent cause of death in patients with schizophrenia. Frontal QRS-T (fQRS-T) angle is a novel marker of myocardial depolarization and repolarization heterogeneity. Recent studies have indicated that the fQRS-T angle is associated with some cardiovascular abnormalities. This study aimed to investigate the fQRS-T angle and its relationship with symptoms severity in patients with schizophrenia. One hundred-six patients with schizophrenia and sixty-four healthy controls were included in this study. fQRS-T angle and QT interval measurements were calculated for each participant from the automatic report of the 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) device. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) and The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were performed on the patients with schizophrenia. Corrected QT (QTc) interval and fQRS-T angle were significantly higher in the patients with schizophrenia than healthy controls (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). fQRS-T angle was positively correlated with age (r = 0.43), duration of disease (r = 0.37), and negative symptoms scores (r = 0.39). In linear regression analysis, the disease duration and negative symptom severity were the independent predictors of fQRS-T angle in patients with schizophrenia (t = 3.730, p = 0.003 and t = 2.257, p = 0.023, respectively). The fQRS-T angle may be an important ECG parameter to interpret cardiovascular disease risk in patients with schizophrenia.

Mind-Body Connection: Cardiovascular Sequelae of Psychiatric Illness

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Mental health disorders are associated with the onset and progression of cardiac disease. The adverse sequelae of this association include worsened quality of life, adverse cardiovascular outcomes, and heightened mortality. The increased prevalence of CVD is partly explained by increased rates of traditional cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and smoking, but mental illness is an independent risk factor for CVD and mortality. Given the association between mental health disorders and poor cardiovascular health, it is vital to have an early and accurate identification and treatment of these disorders. Our review article shares the current literature on the adverse cardiovascular events associated with psychiatric disorders. We present a review on depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, type A and D personality disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and stress.

Factors associated with overweight and obesity in Lebanese male patients with schizophrenia

PURPOSE

To assess the influence of lifestyle factors, antipsychotic medications, and psychosis symptoms on obesity in a group of male patients with schizophrenia in Lebanon.

DESIGN/METHODS

A cross-sectional study conducted between May and July 2018 enrolling 149 male patients with chronic schizophrenia.

RESULTS

We found that 59.1% of the patients were obese/overweight. Older age and higher negative and total positive and negative syndrome scale scores were significantly associated with lower body mass index values.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This study shed light on some factors associated with obesity in male patients with schizophrenia, which may be targeted for the prevention and management of obesity. Some interventions were proposed such as focusing on patients' physical health, psychiatric treatment, and maintaining a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.