Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its associated factors in first-treatment drug-naïve schizophrenia patients: A large-scale cross-sectional study

Background

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a condition that includes several risk factors specific for cardiovascular disease, is commonly detected among patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). This study elucidated the factors contributing to the development and severity of MetS in first-treatment drug-naïve (FTDN) patients with SCZ.

Methods

The study enrolled 668 individuals with FTDN SCZ, aged 18–49 years, who had no exposure to antipsychotic medications and been hospitalized between February 2017 and June 2022 at the largest psychiatric specialty institution in central China. Patient sociodemographic and general clinical data were collected, and their psychopathology scores and illness severity were assessed using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and Clinical Global Impression Scale–Severity of Illness (CGI-SI), respectively. MetS score was calculated to determine the disease severity.

Results

The prevalence of MetS among this study population was 10.93%. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed onset age, female sex, total cholesterol, and red blood and white blood cell counts as risk factors for MetS, and deemed free tetraiodothyronine (FT₄) and CGI-SI score as protective factors. Multiple linear regression analysis result confirmed older SCZ onset age as a risk factor for elevated MetS score.

Conclusion

This study determined the prevalence of MetS in patients with FTDN SCZ and revealed the factors that influence the occurrence and severity of the disease. These findings will allow development of specific prevention and treatment strategies in clinical practice.