Anthropometric and physiological measures in individuals with at-risk
mental state (ARMS) compared with individuals with schizophrenia:
findings from a lower middle-income country
Abstract
Background: Individuals with psychosis have reduced life
expectancy and this is largely driven by cardiometabolic disease.
Cardiometabolic risk increases with age and duration of psychotic
illness. Anthropometric and physiologic abnormalities have been
identified among individuals with at-risk mental state (ARMS) for
psychosis. The prevalence of cardiometabolic disease is
disproportionately higher in lower middle-income countries (LMIC);
however, literature on cardiometabolic disease in individuals with
psychosis spectrum disorders in LMIC is scarce. Method: This is
a cross-sectional secondary analysis of data from two large randomised
controlled trials that recruited individuals with ARMS (n=326) and
schizophrenia (SCZ; n=303) from inpatient and outpatient settings in
Pakistan. All participants completed anthropometric and physiological
assessments. Results: There was a statistically significant
difference in BMI between groups, 21.42 (SD=4.11) in ARMS and 23.31
(SD=5.41) in the SCZ group (p=0.001). Although mean values were within
the normal range, 17.8% (n=58) of ARMS individuals and 33.1% (n= 100)
SCZ individuals were overweight or obese. Waist circumference was
32.75in (SD=3.13) in the ARMS group and 32.16in (SD=5.18) in SCZ.
Although waist circumference was higher in ARMS, this was not
statistically or clinically significant. The pulse rate and blood
pressure in both groups were within normal range. Conclusion:
We found evidence of abnormal anthropometric and physiological
parameters that would indicate that individuals with psychotic-spectrum
disorders in Pakistan are at an elevated cardiometabolic risk.