Background: Very few studies have compared the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) between patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Aim: The study aimed to compare the prevalence of MS in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Materials and methods: By consecutive sampling, 126 patients with schizophrenia and 72 patients with bipolar disorder admitted to a psychiatry inpatient unit were evaluated for the presence of MS using the criteria of International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP-III). A control group of 50 healthy subjects was used to represent the general prevalence of MS in the community.
Results: In the bipolar disorders group, 40 patients (55.55%) fulfilled IDF criteria and 45 (62.5%) satisfied modified NCEP ATP-III criteria for MS. These figures were significantly higher than those for the schizophrenia group (34.1% IDF and 36.5% modified NCEP ATP-III criteria). Prevalence of MS was 6% in the healthy control group and significantly less than both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder group.
Conclusion: In the sample studied, prevalence of MS is significantly higher in bipolar disorder compared with schizophrenia. The prevalence of MS in both the clinical groups was significantly higher than the healthy control group.