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Heart attack deaths higher in schizophrenia patients

Dunya News

A study says risk of death resulting from heart attack is higher in people with schizophrenia.

According to scientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), death risk resulting from heart attack is higher in people with schizophrenia than in the general public.On average, people with schizophrenia have a lifespan 20 years shorter than the general population. This is partly due to factors such as smoking, increased rates of diabetes, and metabolic problems brought on by the use of some antipsychotic medications.These factors often worsen once a cardiac condition arises because people with schizophrenia are less likely to make the necessary lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, to offset the problem.This study, published online in Schizophrenia Research, examined mortality and access to cardiac care after heart attacks (acute myocardial infarction) in those with schizophrenia.Dr. Paul Kurdyak, Chief, Division of General and Health Systems Psychiatry at CAMH, analyzed four years of Ontario-wide patient data and tracked all incidents of heart attack among people with schizophrenia, and compared results to people without schizophrenia.Specifically, the study found that people with schizophrenia were 50 per cent less likely to receive cardiac procedures or to see a cardiologist within 30 days of discharge from hospital.