Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of metabolic disorders in long-term psychiatric patients, and the
relationship between known risk factors and these metabolic disorders. METHOD: All psychiatric in-patients ≥18 years, who had been
admitted ≥six months were invited to participate. Eighty-four patients participated. They were interviewed, examined, measured and
blood tests conducted to determine several demographic and clinical variables including age, gender, weight, blood pressure and
fasting blood glucose. RESULTS: The prevalence of the metabolic disorders were: metabolic syndrome 32%, hypertension 32%,
diabetes mellitus 8%, cholesterol dyslipidaemia 32%, triglyceride dyslipidaemia 29%, low density lipoprotein (LDL) dyslipidaemia 50%,
overweight 37%, and obesity 24%. Black African and female patients were more likely to have metabolic syndrome. Female patients
were more likely to have cholesterol dyslipidaemia and obesity. Hypertension was associated with age. Ninety-six percent of patients
with dyslipidaemia were newly diagnosed during the study. Three out of the seven previously diagnosed diabetic patients had raised
fasting blood glucose levels. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome falls towards the lower limits of the expected
prevalence rate. Race and gender showed a moderate statistical association with metabolic syndrome. There is a lack of screening for
dyslipidaemia in this setting. Diabetic patients should be referred to specialist diabetic clinics for better monitoring and control.
