Prevalence of obesity and clinical and metabolic correlates in first-episode schizophrenia relative to healthy controls.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

People with schizophrenia exhibit a high obesity rate. However, little is known about the prevalence of obesity and its relationship with clinical symptoms and metabolic indicators in first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) schizophrenia.

METHODS:

Demographic and lipid parameters were gathered from 297 FEDN schizophrenia and 325 healthy controls. The patients' symptomatology was evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

RESULTS:

The obesity rate of FEDN patients was 10.77%, similar to that of controls (10.5%). The prevalence of overweight plus obesity of patients was 44.8%, significantly higher than that of controls (36.6%). Compared with non-obese patients, obese patients had higher levels of cholesterol (4.81 ± 0.93 vs 4.22 ± 1.00 mmol/L), triglyceride (0.27 ± 0.21 vs 0.14 ± 0.24 mg/dL), low-density lipoprotein (0.48 ± 0.12 vs 0.40 ± 0.12 mg/dL), greater ratio of triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein (2.01 ± 1.23 vs 1.44 ± 1.26), and higher PANSS positive symptom subscale score (29.81 ± 6.29 vs 27.05 ± 6.15), general psychopathology subscale score (70.75 ± 11.74 vs 66.87 ± 11.37), and total score (149.81 ± 21.08 vs 140.64 ± 21.58), but lower high-density lipoprotein level (1.09 ± 0.21 vs 1.27 ± 0.34 mg/dL) (all p < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that body mass index (BMI) was positively correlated with triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein ratio, PANSS positive symptoms, general psychopathology, and total scores (all p < 0.05, r = 0.124 ~ 0.335). Multiple regression analysis confirmed that PANSS positive symptoms, total score, and cholesterol level were significantly associated with BMI (all p < 0.05, β: 0.126-0.162).

CONCLUSION:

There was no significant difference in the prevalence of obesity between FEDN patients and the control group. Moreover, BMI was positively associated with positive symptom severity in FEDN patients.

• Authors: Yang Tian, Dongmei Wang, Gaoxia Wei, Jiesi Wang, Huixia Zhou, Hang Xu, Qilong Dai, Meihong Xiu, Dachun Chen, Li Wang, Xiang Yang Zhang
• Journal: Psychopharmacology (Psychopharmacology (Berl)) Vol. 238 Issue 3 Pg. 745-753 (Mar 2021) ISSN: 1432-2072 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 33241480 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Cholesterol, LDL
• Lipids
• Lipoproteins, HDL
• Triglycerides

Topics

• Adult
• Body Mass Index
• Case-Control Studies
• Cholesterol, LDL (blood)
• Female
• Humans
• Lipids (blood)
• Lipoproteins, HDL (blood)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Obesity (complications, epidemiology, metabolism)
• Prevalence
• Psychopathology
• Regression Analysis
• Schizophrenia (complications, epidemiology, metabolism)
• Triglycerides (blood)