Physical consequences of schizophrenia and its treatment: The metabolic syndrome

Schizophrenia is a life shortening illness. Unnatural causes and natural causes are put forward as reasons for this excess mortality. In terms of the latter, a host of different physical disorders occur with increased frequency in schizophrenia. When taken together, some of these illnesses such as t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Life Sciences 2002-06, Vol.71 (3), p.239-257
Main Authors: Ryan, Martina C.M., Thakore, Jogin H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdominal obesity
Antipsychotic Agents - adverse effects
Autonomic
Cardiovascular
Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology
Cardiovascular Diseases - metabolism
Cardiovascular Diseases - mortality
Cortisol
Diabetes
Dyslipidaemia
Humans
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - metabolism
Insulin
Life Style
Medication
Metabolic Syndrome
Morbidity
Mortality
Neuroleptic
Pituitary-Adrenal System - metabolism
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia - complications
Schizophrenia - drug therapy
Schizophrenia - metabolism
Schizophrenia - mortality
Sympathetic
Viscera - metabolism
Viscera - pathology
Visceral fat
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Summary:Schizophrenia is a life shortening illness. Unnatural causes and natural causes are put forward as reasons for this excess mortality. In terms of the latter, a host of different physical disorders occur with increased frequency in schizophrenia. When taken together, some of these illnesses such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disorders constitute the Metabolic Syndrome; a characteristic phenotype of those with this syndrome is excessive visceral fat distribution. The exact reasons why this particular syndrome occurs in schizophrenia is as yet unclear though factors such as life style, poor diet and lack of exercise may contribute to it’s development. Alternatively, overactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis leading to hypercortisolaemia can also result in excessive visceral fat accumulation. This minireview aims to explore the potential role of these issues and medication in terms of the increased morbidity and mortality observed in schizophrenia.
ISSN:0024-3205
1879-0631
DOI:10.1016/S0024-3205(02)01646-6