title: Reduced arterial compliance in patients with psychiatric diagnoses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peripheral arterial compliance is a measure of elasticity of the arteries that has been found to be a robust predictor of prevalent arteriosclerosis as well as incident stroke and myocardial infarction. Psychiatric diagnoses and second generation antipsychotics may contribute to cardiovascular risk and stroke, but effects on peripheral arterial compliance are unknown. This study compared peripheral arterial compliance in healthy male controls to male patients with psychiatric diagnoses who were treated with quetiapine or risperidone or off antipsychotics at time of testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  The groups consisted of 63 patients with mental illness taking quetiapine, risperidone, or no antipsychotics. There were 111 males in the control group. Mean thigh and calf arterial compliance among four groups were compared by ANCOVA, adjusting for body mass index and Framingham Risk Score. All patients were also compared to the control group. Compliance was measured with a computerized plethysmography device.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients (n=63) had significantly lower arterial compliance in both thigh and calf than the controls. Arterial compliance in the calf was significantly lower in the subgroups of quetiapine (n=16) and risperidone (n=19) treated, and in unmedicated (n=28) patients than in controls. In the thigh, patients taking either quetiapine or risperidone had significantly lower arterial compliance than controls. These subgroups did not differ from each other in arterial compliance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of psychiatric diagnoses is associated with reduced arterial compliance. A large study may be required to measure any specific affects of antipsychotics such as quetiapine and risperidone on compliance compared to controls.
authors.affiliation: Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. majujuju@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Maju Mathew
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Koola
authors.forename: W Virgil
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Clifford
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qualls
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cuthbert
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hollis
authors.forename: Deanna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Ngoc-Anh
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raines
authors.forename: Erica J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Duncan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003187:Compliance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018967:Risperidone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D018967:Risperidone