Tag: Cardiovascular Risk

Is the Association between Mental Disorders & Cardiovascular Disease Spurious or Real?

Published on by Andrew Marshall1 Comment

Research Paper Title

PsyCoLaus: mental disorders and cardiovascular diseases: spurious association?

Background

Cardio-vascular diseases (CVD), their well established risk factors (CVRF) and mental disorders are common and co-occur more frequently than would be expected by chance.

However, the mechanisms underlying this association are still poorly understood.

The main study questions of PsyCoLaus, the psychiatric arm of CoLaus, are:

  • Do mental disorders increase vulnerability to CVRF and CVD?
  • Do CVRF and CVD promote the development of mental disorders?
  • Do CVRF/ CVD and mental disorders share common pathogenetic processes?

The longitudinal project adds a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation to the CoLaus investigation.

A better understanding of the psychological, physiological and behavioural links underlying CVD/ CVRF and mental disorders will result in the development of more specific and efficient strategies of prevention and treatment for both psychiatric and CVD/CVRF, two major elements of burden of disease.

Reference

Preisig, M., Waeber, G., Mooser, V. & Vollenweider, P. (2020) PsyCoLaus: mental disorders and cardiovascular diseases: spurious association? Revue Medicale Suisse. 7(315), pp.2127-2129.

Is There an Association between Cardiovasular Disease & Executive Function in Those with Bipolar Disorder?

Published on by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Research Paper Title

Cumulative Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Triglycerides Differentially Relate to Subdomains of Executive Function in Bipolar Disorder; preliminary findings.

Background

Cardiovascular disease is disproportionally prevalent in bipolar disorder (BD) and has been linked to cognition in preliminary studies. The researchers evaluate the association between known risk factors for cardiovascular disease and executive function in BD patients compared to healthy controls.

Methods

In a sample of n=57 individuals (n=23 BD, n=34 controls) they assessed two subdomains of executive function; cognitive flexibility (using the Trail Making Test – Part B) and cognitive inhibition (using the Stroop Colour Word Interference Task). Cardiovascular risk was assessed by means of serum triglyceride levels, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, as well as dietary saturated fat intake and a sex-specific cumulative cardiovascular risk score calculated using the Framingham Heart Study method.

Results

Patients with BD had higher BMI and waist circumference, with more BD patients categorised as having central obesity than controls. In the BD group only, higher triglyceride levels were associated with worse cognitive flexibility, and elevated cumulative cardiovascular disease risk was associated with worse cognitive inhibition. No correlations between cardiovascular risk factors and executive function were evident in the control group.

The study was limited by the small sample size and should be considered hypothesis-generating.

Conclusions

The associations between triglyceride levels, cumulative cardiovascular disease risk and executive functioning evident in BD in this study preliminarily indicate the potential for mechanistic overlap of physical health and cognitive function in the disorder.

Reference

Van Rheenen, T.E., McIntyre, R.S., Balanza-Martinez, V., Berk, M. & Rossell, S.L. (2020) Cumulative Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Triglycerides Differentially Relate to Subdomains of Executive Function in Bipolar Disorder; preliminary findings. Journal of Affective Disorders. 278, pp.556-562. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.104. Online ahead of print.

Trying to Understand the Link between Socioeconomic Deprivation, Blood Lipids, Pyschosis, & Cardiovascular Risk

Published on by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Research Paper Title

Socioeconomic deprivation and blood lipids in first-episode psychosis patients with minimal antipsychotic exposure: Implications for cardiovascular risk.

Background

The influence of socioeconomic deprivation on the cardiovascular health of patients with psychosis-spectrum disorders (PSD) has not been investigated despite the growing recognition of social factors as determinants of health, and the disproportionate rates of cardiovascular mortality observed in PSD.

Discordant results have been documented when studying dyslipidemia -a core cardiovascular risk factor- in first-episode psychosis (FEP), before chronic exposure to antipsychotic medications.

The objective of the present study is to determine the extent to which socioeconomic deprivation affects blood lipids in patients with FEP, and examine its implications for cardiovascular risk in PSD.

Methods

Linear regression models, controlling for age, sex, exposure to pharmacotherapy, and physical anergia, were used to test the association between area-based measures of material and social deprivation and blood lipid levels in a sample of FEP patients (n = 208).

Results

Social, but not material deprivation, was associated with lower levels of total and HDL cholesterol.

This effect was statistically significant in patients with affective psychoses, but not in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Conclusions

Contrary to other reports from the literature, the relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage and blood lipid levels was contingent on the social rather than the material aspects of deprivation.

Furthermore, this association also depended on the main diagnostic category of psychosis, suggesting a complex interaction between the environment, psychopathology, and physical health.

Future studies exploring health issues in psychosis might benefit from taking these associations into consideration.

A better understanding of the biology of blood lipids in this context is necessary.

Reference

Veru-Lesmes, F., Rho, A., Joober, R., Iyer, S. & Malla, A. (2020) Socioeconomic deprivation and blood lipids in first-episode psychosis patients with minimal antipsychotic exposure: Implications for cardiovascular risk. Schizophrenia Research. pii: S0920-9964(19)30589-4. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.12.019. [Epub ahead of print].