title: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in bipolar patients initiating acute-phase treatment: a 6-month follow up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its correlates in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) during acute-phase treatment in southern China.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 148 BD patients presenting with acute mood symptoms and 65 healthy controls at entry. Sociodemographic characteristics were noted for all participants. For patients, lifestyle information (alcohol, smoking, and exercise habits) and clinical characteristics were also collected. Patients were followed up for 6 months after the commencement of pharmacological treatment. Using the Chinese Medical Association Diabetes Branch criteria, MetS prevalence rates were calculated at entry and recalculated for patients at months 1, 3, and 6.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, MetS was presented in 11.5% of the patients; overweight, 34.5%; low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 15.5%; hypertriglyceridemia, 29.1%; hypertension, 14.9%; and hyperglycemia, 5.4%. Compared with controls, the patients had a significantly higher prevalence of MetS and all its components except for hyperglycemia (P < 0.05). In the regression analysis, history of hypertension, presence of diabetes, and alcohol drinking were associated with MetS. During the follow-up period, rates of MetS and overweight increased gradually and stably, hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased significantly in the first month and then remained stable, and hypertension and hyperglycemia remained stable all the time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data show that MetS is highly prevalent in Chinese BD patients. Weight gain and dyslipidemia result from a short period of treatment. Early interventions for weight gain and dyslipidemia are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun-Yat Sen University, Guang Zhou, China.
authors.forename: Nianhong
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Hairen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Feici
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Diao
authors.forename: Jinbei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tingjuan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors