Risk of sudden cardiac death increased in patients with psychiatric disorders

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Patients with psychiatric disorders have an increased rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD), according to a study published online Oct. 22. Heart.

Jasmin Mujkanovic from Rigshospitalet Hjertecentret in Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues examined all deaths in Denmark in 2010 among residents aged 18 to 90 years to examine the incidence of SCD in patients with psychiatric disorders. Based on available information, all deaths were categorized as non-SCD or SCD.

In 2010, there were 45,703 deaths among 4.3 million residents, 6,002 of which were due to SCD. The researchers found that patients with psychiatric disorders had a 1.79 to 6.45 times higher incidence rate of SCD than the general population, which was dependent on age. Psychiatric disorders were independently associated with SCD, with a hazard ratio of 2.31 adjusting for age, gender, and comorbidities; The hazard ratio was highest in patients with schizophrenic disorders (hazard ratio 4.51). An expected additional life loss of 10 years was observed in 18-year-old patients with a psychiatric disorder, while 13 percent of the additional years of life caused by SCD occurred in patients aged 18 to 40 years with a psychiatric disorder.

“Patients with psychiatric disorders had increased rates of SCD compared to the general population across all age groups,” the authors write. “It was shown that patients with schizophrenic disorders have the highest rates of SCD.”

Several authors revealed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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