Medical burden in late-life bipolar and major depressive disorders.
BACKGROUND
Elderly patients with bipolar disorder have been found to have higher mortality than those with major depressive disorder. The authors compare medical burden in elderly patients with bipolar disorder with that in those with major depressive disorder.


METHODS
Fifty-four patients with bipolar I or II disorder who were 60 years of age and older were equated 1-to-2 to 108 patients with nonpsychotic, major depressive disorder according to age, sex, race, and lifetime duration of mood disorder illness. Variables examined included the following: Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G) total scores, body mass index (BMI), and CIRS-G subscale scores.


RESULTS
Compared with patients with major depressive disorder, patients with bipolar disorder had similar levels of general medical comorbidity on the CIRS-G total score and number of systems affected but higher BMI. After controlling for multiple comparisons, the endocrine/metabolic and respiratory subscale scores on the CIRS-G were higher for patients with bipolar disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
Although overall medical burden appears comparable in elderly patients with bipolar and those with major depressive disorder, patients with bipolar disorder have higher BMI and greater burden of endocrine/metabolic and respiratory disease.
Gildengers
Ariel G
AG
Intervention Research Center for Late-Life Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Whyte
Ellen M
EM
Drayer
Rebecca A
RA
Soreca
Isabella
I
Fagiolini
Andrea
A
Kilbourne
Amy M
AM
Houck
Patricia R
PR
Reynolds
Charles F
CF
Frank
Ellen
E
Kupfer
David J
DJ
Mulsant
Benoit H
BH
D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010414:Pennsylvania; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000453:epidemiology