title: A Population-Based Cohort Study on Peripheral Arterial Disease in Patients with Schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is considered the leading cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular morbidity. Several risk factors of PAD have been observed in patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, we hypothesize that the incidence of PAD is higher in the schizophrenia population than in the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients in this population-based cohort study were selected from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database on the basis of the claims data from 2000 to 2011. We compared the incidence of PAD between schizophrenia and nonschizophrenia cohorts. Cox proportional hazard regression models were employed for analyzing the risk of PAD after adjustment for sex, age, and comorbidities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for PAD in the schizophrenia cohort was 1.26-fold higher than that in the nonschizophrenia cohort. Furthermore, patients with schizophrenia using atypical antipsychotics exhibited a high adjusted HR for PAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with the general population, the risk of PAD is higher among patients with schizophrenia. Early diagnosis and intervention can mitigate complications resulting from cardiovascular diseases and lower mortality.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, Lutung Christian Hospital, LuKang, Taiwan.|Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.|College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Li
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science and School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology