title: Schizophrenia: medical illness, mortality, and aging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Schizophrenia is a devastating and common psychiatric disorder which is associated with a high degree of medical morbidity and reduced life span in addition to psychosis. In this article, these problems will be discussed in the context of schizophrenia and aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  The recent literature was reviewed using Pubmed, Medline, and Google scholar with the search terms "schizophrenia, aging, medical problems."
  
  
  RESULTS
  Schizophrenia is associated with significant medical morbidity and mortality. Diabètes and cardiovascular disease, along with smoking and obesity, are over-represented and contribute to reduced quality of life and life span. Schizophrenics often receive poor medical care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The impacts of schizophrenia on physical health and successful aging have been underestimated. Psychiatrists and primary care physicians need to address the overlapping medical and psychiatric aspects of the disorder while the medical care system for these patients requires a much higher degree of coordination than is currently available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA. david.casey@louisville.edu
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Northcott
authors.forename: Garry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vickar
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shihabuddin
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology