title: Physical illness and lifestyle risk factors in people with their first presentation of psychosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is an increased prevalence of physical illness and poor lifestyle in patients with chronic schizophrenia. It is unclear whether these are present at the onset of psychosis or develop over the course of illness. We aimed to establish whether patients experiencing their first episode of psychosis have worse physical health and lifestyle than community controls without psychosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-nine patients with new onset illness were compared to age and sex matched controls for self-reported physical illness and cardiovascular and respiratory risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients reported more physical health complaints, mainly respiratory, compared with age and gender matched controls (odds ratio 2.85, 95% confidence interval 1.2-6.7). Patients were more likely to be cigarette smokers (1.82, 95% CI 1.0-3.3) and eat a fast food diet (1.04, 95% CI 1.0-1.1), but these differences were accounted for by patients' unemployment status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some risk factors for physical health problems are present at the onset of psychosis, but these may be explained by unemployment.
authors.affiliation: Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 34-138 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1LB, UK. chiara.samele@scmh.org.uk
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Samele
authors.forename: Maxine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boydell
authors.forename: Morven
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leese
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wessely
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology