Patients taking medications for bipolar disorder are more prone to metabolic syndrome than Korea's general population

Nam Young Lee, Se Hyun Kim, Belong Cho, Yeon Ji Lee, Jae Seung Chang, Ung Gu Kang, Yong Sik Kim, Yong Min Ahn

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

Despite growing concerns about the co-morbidity of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and bipolar disorder, few studies have been conducted on this topic in Asian populations. This study examined Korean patients with bipolar disorder to assess its co-morbidity with MetS and to compare the prevalence of MetS in patients with medication for bipolar disorder with that of healthy patients. We used cross-sectional data from the medical records of patients with bipolar disorder who presented to the psychiatric clinic in Seoul National University Hospital between June 2007 and June 2008. The control group, matched for age and gender, was randomly drawn from visitors to the Health Promotion Center at the same hospital during the same period. We compared the prevalence of MetS between these two groups with independent sample t-tests and chi-squared tests. We also calculated the indirectly standardized prevalence ratio (ISPR) with a standardization that used the Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES, 2007). The prevalence of MetS in patients who took medication for bipolar disorder (N = 152) was 27.0%, 25.0% and 25.7%, based on the definitions of the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's adaptation of the Adult Treatment Panel III (AHA), the National Cholesterol Education Program for Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), respectively. The present study determined that the prevalence of MetS was significantly higher in patients with bipolar disorder than in the control group; the odds ratios (OR) (95% CI) were 2.44 (1.35-4.40), 2.48 (1.34-4.59) and 2.57 (1.40-4.74), based on the definition of the AHA, ATPIII and IDF, respectively. The ISPR (95% CI) was 1.48 (1.02-1.93), 1.54 (1.05-2.03) and 1.98 (1.36-2.60), respectively. Patients with medications for bipolar disorder showed a significantly higher prevalence of increased waist circumference, elevated triglycerides, and reduced HDL-cholesterol than the control group. The prevalence of MetS in patients taking medication for bipolar disorder was higher than that in the general population. Obesity and dyslipidemia were particularly prevalent in patients with bipolar disorder.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1243-1249
Number of pages7
JournalProgress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
Volume34
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2010

Keywords

  • Bipolar disorder
  • Control group
  • Cross-sectional
  • Indirectly standardized prevalence ratio
  • Metabolic syndrome

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Patients taking medications for bipolar disorder are more prone to metabolic syndrome than Korea's general population'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this