Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) and its associated factors in patients with refractory schizophrenia using the antipsychotic clozapine. Method: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the extended western region of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil, in 2015, using a sample of 72 patients. We collected sociodemographic, clinical, anthropometric and biochemical data and conducted descriptive univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: We verified the prevalence of MS in 47.2% of the sample, with a greater predominance among women (58.8%). Patients with MS showed higher change values, especially in relation to blood glucose and triglycerides. The use of four or more medications and the presence of overweight and obesity were associated with MS. In addition, patients with the syndrome had fewer cases of psychiatric hospitalizations than those who did not have it. Conclusion: High and alarming levels of MS prevalence were found in patients with refractory schizophrenia. The presence of overweight and obesity and the use of 4 or more medications may be associated with the development of the MS in this group. These levels could represent an important indicator of cardiovascular risk, which raises the need to develop strategies for primary prevention of metabolic alterations, and highlights the importance of a periodical monitoring of the patient, especially regarding the components of the MS.

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