title: Obesity and smoking in patients with schizophrenia and normal controls: a case-control study.
abstract: Cardiovascular risk factors, especially obesity and smoking are highly prevalent in patients with schizophrenia. Central obesity and the metabolic syndrome are conditions mostly attributed to the use of antipsychotic medication and lifestyle habits, and they constitute a significant health concern. Our study sample included 105 patients suffering from schizophrenia aged 36.25+/-10.03 and 156 normal control subjects aged 36.03+/-11.33. All patients were in- or out-patients of a private hospital. Clinical diagnosis was made according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Height, weight, waist circumference and number of cigarettes smoked daily were recorded. Duration of illness was calculated based on records concerning the age of first onset of psychotic symptoms. Body Surface Area (BSA) and Body Mass Index (BMI) were calculated as well as % body fat, with the use of LifeWise Body Fat Analyzers No 63-1525. The results of analysis of variance suggested a significant main effect regarding diagnosis and sex as well as for their interaction. There were significant differences between patients and controls regarding body weight, waist circumference, BMI, BSA and % body fat, with patients, especially females, being more obese than controls. The results of the present study corroborate the increased prevalence of obesity in schizophrenia. The interpretation of this finding remains unclear.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Fountoulakis
authors.forename: Melina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siamouli
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Panagiotidis
authors.forename: Stamatia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Magiria
authors.forename: Sotiris
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kantartzis
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papastergiou
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shoretsanitis
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pantoula
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moutou
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kouidi
authors.forename: Symeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deres
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001830:Body Surface Area; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult