Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness associated with excess mortality and affecting nearly 1% of the population. The average life expectancy for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia has been 55-60 years through the last generations in Denmark, while the general population has over the same period of time experienced an increase in life expectancy. As a result, the standardized mortality rate for patients with schizophrenia has increased markedly over the last three decades and is currently a major public health concern. Causes of death are mainly cardiovascular disease and patients diagnosed with schizophrenia has a relative risk of cardiovascular disease that is about 2-fold higher than the general population.
Little is known about severe progression of premature coronary arteriosclerosis in patients suffering from schizophrenia. Coronary artery calcium score is a well-defined measure to predict cardiovascular disease events, however there has not yet been any attempt to investigate whether there is an association between coronary artery calcium score and premature morbidity and mortality in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. The objective of this study is to investigate the progression of arteriosclerosis in patients with schizophrenia at different stages of the disease, and to offer and implement adequate treatment for these patients according to their somatic condition. This study will identify risk factors of somatic diseases in these patients, with specific focus on early diagnoses, prevention, intervention and treatment of arteriosclerosis in schizophrenic patients. The investigation is about the possibility of detecting any differences between developing arteriosclerosis in schizophrenia patients versus the general population, and how common risk factors are contributing to this process. The results of this study should provide important modifications in the clinical guidelines for treatment of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
300
Existing psychiatric and somatic diagnosis and treatment. Charlson co-morbidity Index.
A self-report questionnaire measuring social isolation, including relations to family and friends.
This method measures symptom severity, therapeutic response and general improvement, suicidal ideation, cognitive insight and awareness of illness and need for treatment and the ability to relabel symptoms.
This procedure is used to detect early identification of cardiovascular disease progression.
Aalborg University Hospital, Psychiatric Hospital
Aalborg, Denmark
RECRUITINGCT coronary angiography - a quantitative clinical measurement
CT coronary angiography is a non-invasive procedure that uses simple CT-scan without contrast to measure coronary calcifications
Time frame: 6 years
Existing psychiatric and somatic diagnosis and treatment - Self-report questionnaire
Measure of illness history with focus on previous diagnosis and treatment
Time frame: 6 years
Charlson Co-morbidity index - Self-report questionnaire
Measure of illness history with focus on which additional somatic or psychiatric diagnosis patients have.
Time frame: 6 years
Lubben Social Network Scale-6 (LSNS-6) - Self-report questionnaire
The LSNS-6 is a self-report questionnaire measuring social isolation, including relations to family and friends.
Time frame: 6 years
Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) - Clinical evaluation
The GAF is a clinical evaluation of the patient's overall functioning level, including psychological, social and interpersonal, and occupational functioning of mental health-illness.
Time frame: 6 years
Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANNS) - Clinical psychiatric evaluation
The PANNS measures symptom severity in schizophrenia with focus on two distinct syndromes. The postive syndromes including productive symptoms, and the negative syndrome, including deficit features.
Time frame: 6 years
Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) - Clinical psychiatric evaluation
The CGI is a measure of symptom severity, therapeutic response and general improvement.
Time frame: 6 years
Echocardiography - Clinical objective evaluation
Echocardiography is a non-invasive procedure that uses ultrasound waves to generate live images of the patient's heart
Time frame: 6 years
Heart rate variability (HRV) - Clinical objective evaluation
HRV is a non-invasive procedure that detects the function of the autonomic nervous system on the heart rhythm.
Time frame: 6 years
Pulmonary function test (PFT) - Clinical objective evaluation
PFT also known as spirometry is a procedure that measures lung function
Time frame: 6 years
Toe brachial index (TBI) - Clinical objective evaluation
TBP is a procedure that measures the relationship between the systolic blood pressure at the toe and the arm
Time frame: 6 years
Blood test - Clinical objective evaluation
Blood test is used to identify biomedical markers. A volume of 20 ml will be needed from each patient.
Time frame: 6 years
Body Composition analysis (BCA) - Clinical objective evaluation
Using a standard weight to measure body composition for each patient
Time frame: 6 years
CT-scan of upper abdomen (CTUA) - Clinical objective evaluation
CTUA uses X-rays to produce cross-sectional images of the heart and liver
Time frame: 6 years
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging(CMR) - Clinical objective evaluation
CMR uses a strong magnetic field including radio waves to generate images of the heart
Time frame: 6 years
Adipose tissue biopsy - Clinical objective evaluation
Adipose tissue biopsy is an invasive procedure that we use to understand the composition of fat acid for each patient in order to understand the correlation between fat acid and cardiovascular disease.
Time frame: 6 years
Urine sample - Objective clinical evaluation
Urine sample measures the content of melatonin, which is a hormone that controls the natural cycle of sleeping and waking hours.
Time frame: 6 years
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