Metabolic Syndrome in Schizophrenia - Essay Example

A patient's having the majority of these factors is considered a risk to the health, however, it has not been discovered how each of the above-mentioned symptoms influences the development of diseases. (Thakore 2005)Schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome People suffering from schizophrenia are said to be in more danger of cardiovascular diseases than the rest of the population. Taking into account that these diseases are affecting the life of society the most, this problem is very topical. What is the connection between schizophrenia, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic syndrome With patients suffering from schizophrenia, there are certain risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases, and many of them are of a metabolic character.

Such elements of metabolic syndrome as high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, increased blood sugar level, abdominal corpulence - all these stimulate the development of cardiovascular diseases, for example, myocardial infarction. If a person has several of the above-mentioned factors, it allows to diagnose him or her with a metabolic syndrome. Apart from that, metabolic syndrome can be provoked by treating schizophrenia with atypical antipsychotics (second-generation antipsychotics) one of the side-effects of which is the patients' gaining weight, and therefore developing sugar diabetes, metabolic syndrome, arterial hypertension, and other pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

The metabolic changes that occur in a patient's organism under the influence of these antipsychotics are actively researched nowadays so that to find a way to decrease or balance patients' gaining of weight. (Allison et. al 1999) It has also been stated that schizophrenia is often accompanied by the error of glucose metabolism (Freeman 1946), and apart from the inner processes happening in the human organism because of schizophrenia, the situation is aggravated by the patients' lifestyle - as a rule, they hardly ever exercise, do not stick to a healthy diet, tend to smoke and consume alcohol.

(Brown et. al 1999)Managing metabolic syndrome in schizophrenia The main recommendations for people with metabolic syndrome include increased physical activity, keeping to a diet, and leading a healthy life. With people suffering from schizophrenia, it is necessary to pay specific attention to the nature of their metabolic syndrome and its particular symptoms and correlate the choice and use of second-generation antipsychotics for treating them with the risk factors that metabolic syndrome causes.

Apart from that, management of metabolic syndrome with such patients, their individual psychopathological symptoms should be taken into consideration. The patients should be stimulated to physical activity, and their diet should be balanced. In some cases, it is also possible to use the drugs to suppress appetite.