Sex difference in QTc prolongation in chronic institutionalized patients with schizophrenia on long-term treatment with typical and atypical antipsychotics

• Published in: Psychopharmacologia 2011-07, Vol.216 (1), p.9-16
• Main Authors: Yang, Fu De, Wang, Xiang Qun, Liu, Xiu Ping, Zhao, Ke Xin, Fu, Wei Hong, Hao, Xue Ru, Zhang, Xing Li, Huang, Guo Shu, Qu, Sheng Cai, Bai, Jing Shen, Huang, Xu Feng, Kosten, Thomas R., Zhang, Xiang Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Analysis; Antipsychotic Agents - administration & dosage; Antipsychotic Agents - adverse effects; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Antipsychotics; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cardiac dysrhythmias; Cardiology. Vascular system; Care and treatment; Chronic Disease; Clozapine; Cross-Sectional Studies; Electrocardiogram; Electrocardiography; Female; Gender differences; Heart; Hospitals, Psychiatric; Humans; Institutionalization; Long QT Syndrome - chemically induced; Long QT Syndrome - epidemiology; Long QT Syndrome - etiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropharmacology; Neurosciences; Original Investigation; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Prevalence; Psychiatry; Psycholeptics: tranquillizer, neuroleptic; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Psychoses; Psychotropic drugs; Regression Analysis; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - complications; Schizophrenia - drug therapy; Schizophrenia - epidemiology; Sex Characteristics; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0033-3158; 1432-2072
• DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2188-5

Objective The rate-corrected electrocardiographic QT (QTc) interval may significantly increase in patients with schizophrenia taking antipsychotics. The objective of this naturalistic study was to assess the prevalence of prolonged QTc interval in a large population of inpatients with chronic schizophrenia and to explore QTc relationship with demographic variables and prescribed treatments. Materials and methods Electrocardiograms were obtained from age- and sex-matched 456 controls and 1,006 inpatients with schizophrenia (male/female = 689/317) taking antipsychotics. QTc prolongation was defined as a mean value of two standard deviations above the controls. The adjusted relative risk was calculated using logistic regression analysis. Results QTc prolongation was present in 45 (4.5%) of 1,006 patients overall. Fewer men (3.2%, 22 of 689) than women (7.3%, 23 of 317) displayed QTc prolongation ( p