Peer Reviewed
Feature Article Psychiatry and psychology
A healthy heart in mind: defusing a cardiometabolic time bomb in mental illness
Abstract
Mental illness appears to confer a particular susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. Reasons for this include lifestyle factors, as well as high rates of weight gain and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes, which are related to the presence of schizophrenia and mood disorders, and their treatment per se.
Key Points
- It is important to screen for cardiometabolic risk factors in people with mental illness.
- Diagnostic and treatment standards can be used as for any member of the community.
- Addressing cigarette smoking, weight or central abdominal weight gain, hypertension, and serum lipid and blood glucose level abnormalities are important in these patients.
- Preventing weight gain with an active lifestyle intervention will minimise metabolic complications.
- The special needs of the individual person should be considered when advising lifestyle changes in diet and physical activity.
Get full access
Buy this article
Single article purchases are temporarily unavailable due to site maintenance.
If you would like to purchase an article during this time, please email us at [email protected] with the article details and we'll assist you directly. We'll also let you know when online purchasing is available again.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Already a subscriber? Login here.