ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenic patients have increased cardiovascular risk factors and morbi-mortality as compared with the general population. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of French psychiatrists vigilance regarding cardiovascular risk factors in schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Prospective, transverse, multicentric observational study implemented in France in 2007 and conducted by psychiatrists with a liberal activity. The included patients had to meet the following selection criteria: patients ≥ 18 years old, fulfilling the DSM-IV-TR criteria for schizophrenia, treated or not treated for their schizophrenia, with an ambulatory follow-up, without schizophreniform, schizoaffective, or other psychotic disorder. The psychiatrists "vigilance level" for a given cardiovascular risk factor was defined as a systematic investigation of this cardiovascular risk factor for at least 75% of the schizophrenic patients included in the study by the psychiatrist. RESULTS: A total of 382 psychiatrists included 2242 patients, the data collected for 2222 patients were finally analysed. The mean age was 41 years old, 59% were men. The mean BMI was 27 kg/m(2), 34% of the patients were overweight, 23% were obese. The paranoid and residual schizophrenia were the most frequently described subtypes of the disease (41.3 and 25.0% respectively), 58% of the patients were moderately or markedly ill according to the CGI-S scale. Most of the patients were treated with atypical antipsychotics (77%). Only 58% of the psychiatrists were vigilant for the weight of their patients, 38% for the arterial tension, 25% for the family history of premature coronary disease, 14% for the glycemia, 12% for the triglycerides, 10% for HDL cholesterol, 6% for the waist measurement; 35% of the psychiatrists were vigilant for no cardiovascular risk factor. Less than 30% of the psychiatrists recommended their patients to other specialists to manage cardiovascular disorders. CONCLUSION: Similarly to other countries, French psychiatrists provide insufficient care of cardiovascular risk factors of schizophrenic patients in their current clinical practice.
