Cardiovascular and respiratory risk factors and symptoms among general practice patients with long-term mental illness

BACKGROUND: In the past, psychiatric in-patients suffered increased cardiovascular and respiratory mortality. The present study investigated whether increased risks persist among patients in the community and are being addressed in general practice.
METHOD: A survey of 101 long-term mentally ill adults in 16 general practices in the South Thames (West) Region.
RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were found to be obese (body mass index > 30 kg/m2), 53 were current smokers and 11 were hypertensive (mean systolic blood pressure > 160 mmHg or mean diastolic blood pressure > 100 mmHg, or both). Twenty-one reported daily cough and sputum, 24 shortness of breath, 11 wheezing and seven chest pain on exertion. These rates were significantly higher than population rates in a contemporary national survey. Nearly all the risk factors were recorded in the general practice records but few attempts to intervene were apparent.
CONCLUSIONS: Long-term mentally ill patients remain at increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory problems in the community. Primary care teams should make special efforts to tackle risk factors among this group.

smoking, middle aged, epidemiology, comorbidity, chest pain, obstructive, pressure, mentally ill, patient care team, illness, statistics & numerical data, research support, general practice, humans, body mass index, mental illness, blood pressure, risk factors, cardiovascular diseases, risk, pain, lung diseases, general-practice, population, long-term care, sputum, cough, research, female, exertion, primary-care, hypertension, patients, obesity, problems, utilization, symptoms, England, care, records, community, mortality, mental disorders, chronic disease, blood, male, london, long term mental illness, family practice, adult, adults, primary care

0007-1250

733-739

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/abstract/169/6/...

Kendrick, T.

c697a72c-c698-469d-8ac2-f00df40583e5

1996

Kendrick, T.

c697a72c-c698-469d-8ac2-f00df40583e5

Kendrick, T. (1996) Cardiovascular and respiratory risk factors and symptoms among general practice patients with long-term mental illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 169 (6), 733-739.

Record type: Article

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Published date: 1996

Keywords: smoking, middle aged, epidemiology, comorbidity, chest pain, obstructive, pressure, mentally ill, patient care team, illness, statistics & numerical data, research support, general practice, humans, body mass index, mental illness, blood pressure, risk factors, cardiovascular diseases, risk, pain, lung diseases, general-practice, population, long-term care, sputum, cough, research, female, exertion, primary-care, hypertension, patients, obesity, problems, utilization, symptoms, England, care, records, community, mortality, mental disorders, chronic disease, blood, male, london, long term mental illness, family practice, adult, adults, primary care

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