Prevalence and correlates of metabolic syndrome among psychiatric inpatients at a tertiary care center

Abstract

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex illness with interconnected physiological, clinical, and metabolic factors. MetS is more prevalent in patients with mental illness than in the general population and contributes to greater morbidity and mortality. Thus we, studied the prevalence and correlates of MetS in psychiatric inpatients.Materials and Methods: The study is an observational cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care center. All consecutive patients (n = 185) admitted to the department of Psychiatry were enrolled after informed consent. Sociodemographic data, clinical data, and treatment details were collected. The WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire was administered to assess the level of physical activity; MetS was diagnosed as per the International Diabetes Federation criteria.Results: The prevalence of MetS was 22.7% among the study participants. The prevalence of MetS was significantly associated with higher age, urban domicile status, and middle and upper socioeconomic classes. Clinical characteristics such as longer duration of illness, comorbid substance use disorders, and treatment regimens with only antipsychotics medications were associated with higher likelihood of MetS. There was a higher prevalence of MetS among subjects with lower level of physical activity.Conclusion: One-fourth of the psychiatric inpatients had MetS. Guidelines specific to the Indian context need to be developed for the screening and monitoring of psychiatric patients with reference to MetS. Promotion of physical well-being and physical activity among patients with mental disorders is likely to contribute to a better overall outcome.