Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its associated factors in first‐treatment drug‐naïve schizophrenia patients: A large‐scale cross‐sectional study
Suoya Hu, Xuebing Liu, Yanting Zhang, Jun Ma
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a condition that includes several risk factors specific for cardiovascular disease, is commonly detected among patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). This study elucidated the factors contributing to the development and severity of MetS in first-treatment drug-naïve (FTDN) patients with SCZ. METHODS: The study enrolled 668 individuals with FTDN SCZ, aged 18-49 years, who had no exposure to antipsychotic medications and been hospitalized between February 2017 and June 2022 at the largest psychiatric specialty institution in central China. Patient sociodemographic and general clinical data were collected, and their psychopathology scores and illness severity were assessed using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and Clinical Global Impression Scale-Severity of Illness (CGI-SI), respectively. MetS score was calculated to determine the disease severity. RESULTS: ) and CGI-SI score as protective factors. Multiple linear regression analysis result confirmed older SCZ onset age as a risk factor for elevated MetS score. CONCLUSION: This study determined the prevalence of MetS in patients with FTDN SCZ and revealed the factors that influence the occurrence and severity of the disease. These findings will allow development of specific prevention and treatment strategies in clinical practice.