Patients taking medications for bipolar disorder are more prone to metabolic syndrome than Korea's general population.
Despite growing concerns about the co-morbidity of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and bipolar disorder, few studies have been conducted on this topic in Asian populations. This study examined Korean patients with bipolar disorder to assess its co-morbidity with MetS and to compare the prevalence of MetS in patients with medication for bipolar disorder with that of healthy patients. We used cross-sectional data from the medical records of patients with bipolar disorder who presented to the psychiatric clinic in Seoul National University Hospital between June 2007 and June 2008. The control group, matched for age and gender, was randomly drawn from visitors to the Health Promotion Center at the same hospital during the same period. We compared the prevalence of MetS between these two groups with independent sample t-tests and chi-squared tests. We also calculated the indirectly standardized prevalence ratio (ISPR) with a standardization that used the Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES, 2007). The prevalence of MetS in patients who took medication for bipolar disorder (N=152) was 27.0%, 25.0% and 25.7%, based on the definitions of the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's adaptation of the Adult Treatment Panel III (AHA), the National Cholesterol Education Program for Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), respectively. The present study determined that the prevalence of MetS was significantly higher in patients with bipolar disorder than in the control group; the odds ratios (OR) (95% CI) were 2.44 (1.35-4.40), 2.48 (1.34-4.59) and 2.57 (1.40-4.74), based on the definition of the AHA, ATPIII and IDF, respectively. The ISPR (95% CI) was 1.48 (1.02-1.93), 1.54 (1.05-2.03) and 1.98 (1.36-2.60), respectively. Patients with medications for bipolar disorder showed a significantly higher prevalence of increased waist circumference, elevated triglycerides, and reduced HDL-cholesterol than the control group. The prevalence of MetS in patients taking medication for bipolar disorder was higher than that in the general population. Obesity and dyslipidemia were particularly prevalent in patients with bipolar disorder.
Lee
Nam Young
NY
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University Graduate School, 28 Yongon-Dong, Chongno-Gu, Seoul 110-744, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Se Hyun
SH
Cho
Belong
B
Lee
Yeon Ji
YJ
Chang
Jae Seung
JS
Kang
Ung Gu
UG
Kim
Yong Sik
YS
Ahn
Yong Min
YM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
D000928:Antidepressive Agents