title: Predictors of death from natural causes in schizophrenia: 10-year follow-up of a community cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  People with schizophrenia have increased natural mortality. There is much speculation but little evidence about the reasons behind this. This paper describes a study designed to measure the impact of pre-selected clinical, demographic and lifestyle variables on the natural mortality of a cohort with schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten-year Cox proportional hazards regression analysis of a community cohort of 95 people with schizophrenia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Death from natural causes was significantly associated with psychosis (HR 2.62, 95% CI 1.13-6.07), age (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.13) and cigarette smoking (HR 2.53, 95% CI 1.01-6.34) at outset. There was a trend to association with low dietary unsaturated fat (P = 0.06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Active psychosis appears to predict natural mortality in people with schizophrenia. Mental health services should prioritise the effective treatment of psychosis. Further research is needed to clarify other risk factors and evaluate health promotion interventions.
authors.affiliation: Hampshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Cannon House, 6 Cannon Street, Shirley, Southampton, SO15 5PQ, UK. steve.brown@hantspt-sw.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Clemence
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents