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Objectives: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) is reported to be between 28.9% and 29.6%. It is considered to be an important risk factor for cardiovascular disorders and diabetes. The reports indicate that it has become a significant health problem in Turkey with a prevalence rate of 34.9%. A higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders is known as compared to normal population. In the present study, our aim was to investigate the prevalence of MS and obesity in patients, who regularly visited Corum Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) and their distribution according to sociodemographic features.
Method: We reviewed the results of patients’ blood tests, which had been ordered in CMHC visits during last three months for routine controls of the metabolic parameters. We used 20 patients’ test results, which we could have access to.
Results: The 20 patients whose test results used in our study included 8 (40%) women and 12 (60%) men. Their mean age was 40,25±10,64. Seven (35%) patients were found to have the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. Number of patients who were obese, overweight, or normal by body mass were found 14 (70%), 5 (25%) and 1 (5%) respectively. Obese patients were found to have more MS than others and this difference was statistically significant (p=0,03). There was a statistically significant difference for marital status according to being obese.
Conclusion: The prevalence of MS in the study population (35%) was similar to the prevalence rate of the syndrome in the Turkish population (39.4%). The patients included in the present study regularly attended their follow-ups in the CMHC and they were able to easily access health services when they needed. We found the lack of difference between smokers and non-smokers in terms of the prevalence of MS (p=0.88), which suggests that increased cardiovascular risk attributed to smoking might be independent from its effects on MS. Significantly higher rate of MS in obese patients compared to non-obese patients was considered to be a strong indication for the presence of MS in obesity.