Low rates of treatment for hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes in schizophrenia: Data from the CATIE schizophrenia trial sample at baseline

Nasrallah, Henry A.; Meyer, Jonathan M.; Goff, Donald C.; McEvoy, Joseph P.; Davis, Sonia M.; Stroup, T. Scott; Lieberman, Jeffrey A.

doi:10.1016/j.schres.2006.06.026

« Previous Next »Schizophrenia Research
Volume 86, Issue 1 , Pages 15-22, September 2006

Low rates of treatment for hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes in schizophrenia: Data from the CATIE schizophrenia trial sample at baseline☆

Henry A. Nasrallah
- University of Cincinnati, 231 Albert Sabin Way, PO Box 670559, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0559, United States
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 513 558 4615.
Jonathan M. Meyer
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, United States
Donald C. Goff
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University, Freedom Trail Clinic - Lindemann Mental Health Center, 25 Staniford St., Boston, MA 02114, United States
Joseph P. McEvoy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Clinical Research, John Umstead Hospital, 1003 12th Street, Butner, NC 27509, United States
Sonia M. Davis
- Quintiles Inc., 5927 South Miami Blvd, Morrisville, NC 27560, United States
T. Scott Stroup
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 7160, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, United States
Jeffrey A. Lieberman
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, United States

Received 26 April 2006; received in revised form 13 June 2006; accepted 18 June 2006.

Abstract

Persons diagnosed with schizophrenia have higher morbidity and mortality rates from cardiovascular disease, yet often have limited access to appropriate primary care screening or treatment. Metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension are highly prevalent in populations with schizophrenia, exceeding 50% in some studies; however, there have been few published studies on treatment rates among schizophrenia patients screened for these disorders.

Methods

Using the baseline data from subjects (N=1460) recruited into the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) schizophrenia study, we examined the point prevalence of diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension treatment at the time of enrollment for the entire cohort and those with fasting laboratory values obtained 8 or more hours since last meal.

Results

Rates of non-treatment ranged from 30.2% for diabetes, to 62.4% for hypertension, and 88.0% for dyslipidemia. Nonwhite men were more likely to be treated for DM and dyslipidemia than nonwhite women.

Conclusions

These data indicate the high likelihood that metabolic disorders are untreated in patients with schizophrenia, with particularly high rates of non-treatment for hypertension and dyslipidemia. Nonwhite women may be especially vulnerable to undertreatment of dyslipidemia and diabetes compared to nonwhite men. The findings here support the need for increased attention to basic monitoring and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in this vulnerable and often underserved psychiatric population.

Keywords: Schizophrenia, CATIE, Metabolic disorders, Treatment, Health disparities