title: Life expectancy in bipolar disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Life expectancy in patients with bipolar disorder has been reported to be decreased by 11 to 20 years. These calculations are based on data for individuals at the age of 15 years. However, this may be misleading for patients with bipolar disorder in general as most patients have a later onset of illness. The aim of the present study was to calculate the remaining life expectancy for patients of different ages with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using nationwide registers of all inpatient and outpatient contacts to all psychiatric hospitals in Denmark from 1970 to 2012 we calculated remaining life expectancies for values of age 15, 25, 35 ⃛ 75 years among all individuals alive in year 2000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the typical male or female patient aged 25 to 45 years, the remaining life expectancy was decreased by 12.0-8.7 years and 10.6-8.3 years, respectively. The ratio between remaining life expectancy in bipolar disorder and that of the general population decreased with age, indicating that patients with bipolar disorder start losing life-years during early and mid-adulthood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Life expectancy in bipolar disorder is decreased substantially, but less so than previously reported. Patients start losing life-years during early and mid-adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Department O, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lars Vedel
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Kessing
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vradi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Per Kragh
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: age; bipolar disorder; gender; life expectancy; mania; mortality