Key result
Long-stay psychiatric patients show high rates of cardiovascular risk factors, including ~72% smoking prevalence.
Why the study?
Risk factors for coronary heart disease in long-stay psychiatric patients were not well characterized compared to the general population.
Cross-Sectional (n=64)
Chronically and severely mentally ill inpatients exhibit a high prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors, underscoring the need for targeted cardiovascular monitoring and risk reduction.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May support cardiovascular monitoring in psychiatric inpatients; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
The aim of this study was to screen long-stay psychiatric patients for risk factors for coronary heart disease. Participants were interviewed individually and had anthropometric and physiological measurements and blood samples taken. Of the 64 participants, 21 (33%) were overweight and a further 25 (39%) obese. Of those interviewed (n=47), 34 (72%) were current smokers. In total, 44% of those sampled (n=57) had a raised screening blood pressure, 9% of those sampled (n=34) had an elevated serum cholesterol and in 17% of those sampled (n=53), electrocardiogram abnormalities consistent with coronary heart disease or hypertension were present. Risk factors for coronary heart disease were more common in this population of chronically and severely mentally ill inpatients than in the general population. These patients need careful ongoing monitoring and measures aimed at coronary heart disease risk reduction.
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Haw et al. (2004) conducted a cross-sectional in Chronically and severely mentally ill inpatients (n=64). Severe mental illness (long-stay psychiatric patients) vs. General population was evaluated on Prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors. Long-stay psychiatric patients exhibited high rates of coronary heart disease risk factors, including 72% current smokers, 72% overweight or obese, and 44% with raised blood pressure.
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