Metabolic syndrome and aerobic fitness in patients with first-episode schizophrenia, including a 1-year follow-up

Abstract Objective To compare the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and metabolic abnormalities in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) with sex- and age-matched healthy controls; to investigate changes in MetS during 1 year of treatment; and to investigate predictors of MetS. Methods Patients with FES (N = 99) and healthy controls (N = 50) were included in the study. MetS was defined according to IDF based on waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and fasting-glucose. Data on physical activity, aerobic fitness, smoking, and dietary habits, sleeping disturbances, psychopathology and psychotropic medication were also obtained. Patients were assessed at baseline and at 1 year follow-up. Results Compared with healthy controls patients with FES had a higher baseline prevalence of MetS (p = .07), and metabolic abnormalities: WC (p  Conclusion MetS and metabolic abnormalities are highly prevalent in patients with FES, and both increase significantly during 1 year of treatment. Apart from confirming the metabolic adverse effects of antipsychotics, our study highlights that low aerobic fitness is a significant risk factor for MetS. Promoting a healthier lifestyle should be part of psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation.