Schizophrenia and heart disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and it’s about twice as deadly for people with schizophrenia. The November 2007 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter looks at why the risk is so great for people with schizophrenia and what can they do to reduce it.

People with schizophrenia are more likely than other Americans to have one or more of the major risk factors for heart disease. They are also less likely to receive good preventive care, in large part because they are more likely to see a psychiatrist than a primary care physician or cardiologist. This puts more of a burden for assessing and monitoring heart health on the mental health team—or on patients and families.

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