Prevalence and clinical corelates of metabolic syndrome in patients receiving modified electro-convulsive therapy: An exploratory study from North India.

Abstract

Background: Modified electroconvulsive therapy (mECT) is the treatment of choice in suicidality and resistant psychiatric disorders like treatment resistant depression and schizophrenia. A handful of studies with modest sample sizes have shown some effect of mECT on glycemic control and cholesterol levels; however, not a single study has explored the association between mECT and metabolic syndrome.

Aim: To find out the prevalence and clinical corelates of metabolic syndrome in patients receiving mECT.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional exploratory study in which 89 patients receiving mECT were recruited via systematic random sampling and evaluated for metabolic syndrome by using modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP-III) criteria.

Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients receiving mECT was 55.06%. The most common metabolic abnormality noted was elevated blood pressure, with increased diastolic blood pressure in 71.9% and elevated systolic blood pressure in 67.42%. We found a significant association between age (P < 0.001) and gender of patients on ECT with metabolic syndrome. (P = 0.019). Having received mECT's in past (P < 0.001) and a higher number of mECTs (P < 0.001) were both significantly associated with metabolic syndrome. Multivariate logistic regression metabolic syndrome was significantly predicted by the number of mECTs [{(unadjusted odds ratio 1.57), (adjusted odds ratio 1.52)}(P value < 0.001)}].

Conclusion: Our findings revealed an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in mECT population; this emphasizes the importance of screening for metabolic syndrome to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death.