title: All-cause mortality and medication risk factors in schizophrenia: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is well established that persons with schizophrenia have high mortality rates. There is conflicting evidence that antipsychotic and perhaps other medications routinely used to treat schizophrenia contribute to mortality risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  A health insurer database was used to examine schizophrenia diagnosis and mortality in 2008. Information from the period 2006-2008 was used to analyze demographics and medication prescriptions. The risk set composed of patients with schizophrenia using an antipsychotic (n = 7415) and a group of randomly chosen control subjects (n = 97,726).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mortality risk for having a diagnosis of schizophrenia and using an antipsychotic versus the random control group was a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.6; 95% CI, 2.0-3.2. Over the 3-year period, age, receiving a first-generation antipsychotic, and the use of a mood stabilizer were associated with a higher risk of mortality: HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04-1.08; HR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.38-4.04; and HR, 8.42; 95% CI, 3.06-24.07, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with schizophrenia have higher mortality rates than normal controls. The type of antipsychotic and concomitant medication can affect mortality rates in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: GGZ Centraal, Innova, Amersfoort, The Netherlands. d.tenback@ggzcentraal.nl
authors.forename: Diederik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tenback
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pijl
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Smeets
authors.forename: Jim van
authors.initials: Jv
authors.lastname: Os
authors.forename: Peter van
authors.initials: Pv
authors.lastname: Harten
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002423:Cause of Death; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents