title: General-medical conditions in older patients with serious mental illness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The burden of medical comorbidities was compared between older (> or =60 years) and younger patients with serious mental illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (N=8,083) diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder in 2001 were identified from VA facilities in the mid-Atlantic region. Medical comorbidities were identified by an ICD-9-based clinical classification algorithm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Older, versus younger, patients were more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions, and less likely to be diagnosed with substance-use disorders or hepatic conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More aggressive detection and management of general-medical comorbidities in older patients with serious mental illness is paramount.
authors.affiliation: VA Pittsburgh Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (151-C), University Drive C, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA. Amy.Kilbourne@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kilbourne
authors.forename: Jack R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cornelius
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Gretchen L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: Ihsan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salloum
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Conigliaro
authors.forename: Harold A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Pincus
mesh_terms: D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology