Prevalence and predictors of metabolic syndrome in a sample of Italian psychiatric inpatients

Introduction: Psychiatric population is characterized by a higher prevalence of cardiovascular events compared to general population. This difference might be due, in part, to the metabolic adverse effects of psychotropic agents, and, in part, to common risk factors such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet. Another potential risk factor is represented by the presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of MetS and to identify the baseline predictors for the longitudinal development of MetS in a sample of Italian psychiatric inpatients. Methods: Medical records of 343 patients admitted to our psychiatric ward between 2007 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Prevalence of MetS was 21.5%. MetS appeared directly associated with age and number of medication assumed. ROC curves showed HDL as the best predictor of metabolic syndrome in our sample. Conclusions: Our results confirm previous data on the association between metabolic syndrome and exposure to complex polytherapy. Additionally, our findings support the notion of psychiatric patients as an at-risk group for metabolic abnormalities, which should be carefully monitored.