Comorbidity of somatic diseases in psychiatric patients

Objective To study the prevalence of somatic diseases in patients with mental disorders based on the results of medical examination in Moscow mental health clinics in 2018. Material and methods A retrospective analysis of the results of the clinical examinations of 6492 outpatients, which accounted for 79.5% of patients who underwent medical examination in this time period. Results Comorbid somatic diseases were found in 4883 (75%) patients. Hypertension and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were most frequent with the prevalence higher than in the general population of the Russian Federation. Patients with diagnosed schizophrenia, along with hypertension and diabetes mellitus, have found to be at increased risk of diseases of the endocrine system and metabolic disorders. The incidence of the mentioned diseases is not higher than that reported in literature. Conclusion The higher prevalence of socially relevant diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus) among patients with mental disorders demands the development of strategies for prevention, early detection and treatment of these diseases in psychiatric patients.