Cardiovascular Risk Evaluation in a Latin American Population With Severe Mental Illness: An Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Patients with severe mental illness (SMI) have a life expectancy that is 15 to 20 years shorter than that of the general population primarily due to cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is a leading cause of mortality. Contributing factors include unhealthy lifestyles, physical inactivity, diet, smoking, specific medications, and obesity. This study seeks to describe risk factors and cardiovascular risks (CVR) among hospitalized patients with SMI at a specialized mental healthcare center.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed demographic and clinical data from hospitalized patients between January and December 2022. The Framingham 10- and 30-year risk scores were used to assess CVR, and logistic regression was employed for statistical analysis to compare results and determine significant differences.

Results: The study consisted of 366 patients, of whom 47.2% were women, aged 18 to 81. Women were, on average, older than men, with mean ages of 44.7 and 37.8 years, respectively (p < 0.001). Additional demographic characteristics show that 54.9% had finished high school and 81.1% were single. The biggest CVR factors in our sample were female sex, higher academic level, systolic blood pressure above 150 mmHg, triglyceride levels above 150 mg/dL, fasting glucose values above 100 mg/dL, cigarette smoking, and a family history of CVD.

Conclusions: The research shows an incidence of CVD risk among patients with SMI. Multiple lifestyle and medical factors correlate with an increased mortality risk over 10 and 30 years. These findings highlight the need to control modifiable risk factors such as blood pressure (BP), serum lipids, glucose levels, smoking habits, and possible medication side effects to positively impact survival and quality of life in this group.