Treatment With Rosuvastatin for Severe Dyslipidemia in Patients With Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder
Abstract
Mortality rates in patients with schizophrenia are double compared to those in the general population, with cardiovascular disease causing 50% of the excess. Lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is recognized as a primary target for the prevention of cardiovascular mortality according to the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III.
Use of lipid-lowering drugs such as statins is recommended when lifestyle changes are not sufficient to reach the LDL goal. The efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin treatment were evaluated in schizophrenic patients. 100 schizophrenic patients with severe dyslipidemia were identified.
All were treated with antipsychotics. Fifty-two patients were treated with rosuvastatin and compared with 48 who did not receive statin treatment.
All patients were screened for cardiovascular risk factors and examined at baseline. The effects of lipid-lowering medication on lipid profile, glucose homeostasis, and components of metabolic syndrome were eval