One-year incidence of diabetes mellitus in Thai schizophrenic patients

Objective: the association between schizophrenia and diabetes mellitus (dm) has been recognized, but its underlying reasons are unclear and likely to be multifactorial. this prospective study aimed to assess a one-year incidence rate and risk factors of dm in thai schizophrenic patients. method: we screened all dsm-iv schizophrenic patients who visited the psychiatric clinic between february 2003 and may 2004. a fasting plasma glucose level (fpgl) of 126 mg/dl or more was applied for a diagnosis of dm. each subject was assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. results: during the one-year follow-up period, four of 43 subjects (9.3%) developed dm (fpgl ≥ 126 mg/dl). one and three participants developed dm at 6 and 12 months, respectively. conclusion: thai schizophrenic patients may develop dm rapidly. long duration of schizophrenia and long-term antipsychotic treatment may play a role in increasing risk for dm in this population