Metabolic syndrome and schizophrenia from integrative medicine perspective.

BACKGROUND: There has been a growing interest in the effect that comorbid schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome may have on each other. OBJECTIVE: To examine metabolic syndrome from integrative medicine point of view including prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with schiziphrenia compared to their first-degree relatives, healthy volunteers without schizophrenia in close family, and patients with PTSD, as well as the percentage patients with schizophrenia without any component of metabolic syndrome. METHOD: Metabolic syndrome according to NCEP/ATP III criteria and number of its components were analysed in 205 patients with schizophrenia, 140 healthy volunteers and 105 patients with combat PTSD. RESULTS: Metabolic syndrome was identified in 45.9% of the patients with schizophrenia, 38.1% of the war veterans with PTSD, 36.7% of the first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia and 16.2% of the healthy volunteers without schizophrenia in close family. Only 21.5% of the patients with schizophrenia were without any metabolic syndrome component. CONCLUSION: The comorbidity of schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome is very important for theory and practice of integrative medicine. Almost 80% of the patients with schizophrenia have increased risk or developed cardiovascular disorders,.