Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in schizophrenia patients who are receiving treatment with antipsychotic drugs and also the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of schizophrenia patients with MetS.

Methods: 111 schizophrenia patients diagnosed on the basis of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria and receiving antipsychotic therapy for at least 3 months were included in the study. MetS was diagnosed on the basis of International Diabetes Fedaration (IDF) diagnostic criteria. Schizophrenia patient groups with and without diagnosed MetS were compared in terms of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Results: MetS was determined in 27% of the patients. The most commonly determined parameter was elevated waist circumference (65.8%). The least common parameter was elevated blood pressure (10.8%). The waist circumference parameter in women and the blood pressure parameter in men were more frequently determined. No difference was determined between schizophrenia patients with or without MetS in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, schizophrenia subtypes and symptoms or other clinical characteristics.

Conclusion: MetS is a significant problem in schizophrenia patients receiving antipsychotic therapy. Elevated waist circumference is an important parameter in monitoring. The findings in the literature regarding the relationship between MetS and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are contradictory. No correlation was determined in our study. Further studies are now needed to shed light on this subject. There would seem to be no correlation between MetS and schizophrenia subtypes and symptoms.

Key words: Clinical characteristics, metabolic syndrome, sociodemographic characteristics, schizophrenia