Schizophrenia patients exhibited a twofold higher adjusted risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism development than those without schizophrenia, according to research by Dr. Wen-Yu Hsu of China Medical University in Taiwan published in Schizophrenia Research.
The schizophrenia cohort exhibited a 2.02-fold higher adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for developing DVT and a 1.99-fold higher adjusted HR for developing PE. The population-based cohort study included 60,264 schizophrenia patients in Taiwan, compared with 60,264 control patients, obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan from 1996 to 2011.
The researchers identified several lifestyle factors that could contribute to the development of DVT and PE, including a decrease in activities of daily living because of either antipsychotics or negative symptoms of schizophrenia, higher rates of smoking and metabolic syndrome among schizophrenia patients, and prolonged antipsychotic exposure. In addition, patients who are immobile could be at greater risk of developing DVT and PE. “Based on the findings of this study, receiving first-generation antipsychotics or receiving second-generation antipsychotics should be considered a contributing factor of DVT and PE development,” the researchers said.
Read more here: (Schizophr. Res. 2015;162:248-52 [doi:10.1016/j.schres.2015.01.012]).