Impact of Blood Group Type on Severity of Disease in COVID-19 Patients

Background The virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 has rapidly spread into a global pandemic. In critically ill patients with the disease, common symptoms include sepsis, severe pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and complications such as coagulopathy and thrombosis. Many patients with COVID-19 have sequelae such as venous thromboembolism (VTE) including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as well as arterial thromboembolism (ATE) including stroke. COVID-19 induced inflammation can induce a prothrombotic state by activating the coagulation cascade; coupled with the immobility of severe and critically ill patients in ICU, making thrombosis common in this patient population. Different blood types in patients include A, B, AB, and O. ABO carbohydrate moieties are genetically inherited and have been linked to predisposing patients to cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and even susceptibility of COVID-19. Blood type positivity and negativity are determined by the Rhesus (Rh) factor, which is a protein found on the surface of red blood cells and is also genetically inherited and linked to higher incidence of certain diseases such as diabetes. Studies have shown a relationship between blood types and increased severity of infection from COVID-19 including increased risk of thrombosis. Blood type A has been shown to have higher severity of disease with O blood type having a lower risk of infection or mortality. This study was done to evaluate if patients with different blood types have increased risk for thrombosis or higher mortality rates with COVID-19 infection. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on COVID-19 positive hospitalized patients between March 1, 2020 and June 26, 2020 at our institution with reported blood typing. Patients who had a thromboembolism (VTE, DVT, PE, ATE, or stroke) verified by imaging were extracted from this cohort and included in the analysis. The prevalence of different blood types in COVID-19 patients was compared to the general population without COVID-19. The incidence of thrombosis and mortality rate based on blood type was analyzed to understand severity of COVID-19 disease. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-squared testing. Results Among 1265 COVID-19 positive patients during our time frame, 138 patients were identified to have a thrombosis. Of those, 102 patients with thrombosis and 402 without thrombosis had reported blood types that were used for analysis. There was no significant difference in prevalence of blood types in COVID-19 patients (A 34.3%, AB 2.9%, B 16.7%, O 46.1%) to the general nonCOVID-19 population (A32.7%, AB 4.2%, B 14.9%, O 48.1%) (p=0.8572). There was no significant difference in incidence of thrombosis between blood types: A (23.3%), AB (15%), B (20.7%), and O (18.7%) (p=0.6513). When stratifying by Rh factor, there was also no significant difference in incidence of thrombosis by blood types: A- (11.1%), A+ (24.1%), AB- (0%), AB+ (15.8%), B- (25%), B+ (20.3%), O- (18.2%), O+ (18.7%) (p=0.9054). There was also no significant difference in mortality rate between COVID-19 patients based on blood types in our cohort: A (20.7%), AB (15%), B (13.4%), and O (21.8%) (p=0.3747). Conclusion Our study demonstrates that there is no increased prevalence of one blood type over another between COVID-19 patients compared to the general population, showing that patients are not at higher risk for COVID-19 infection based on blood type. There was also no difference between blood types based on incidence of thrombosis. When further stratifying with Rh factor, there was also no difference in incidence of thrombosis based on blood types. This shows that regardless of Rh positivity or negativity, there is no increased risk for thrombosis in COVID-19 patients based on blood type. There is also no difference in mortality in COVID-19 patients based on blood type. Since COVID-19 patients who are critically ill and have more severe disease have higher incidence of thrombosis and higher mortality rates, our study suggests that patients are not at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease based on blood type. However, this study is also limited due to small sample size, and prospective studies are needed to better understand the relationship between blood type and severity of disease in COVID-19+ patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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O24 Risk of death during the 2020 UK COVID-19 epidemic and annual influenza seasons among people with vasculitis compared to the general population: a whole-population study using data from the NDRS and the RECORDER project

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/keab246.023 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 60 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Megan Rutter ◽

Peter C Lanyon ◽

Matthew J Grainge ◽

Richard B Hubbard ◽

Emily J Peach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

General Population ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Published Data ◽

Research Support ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Crude Mortality Rate ◽

Crude Mortality ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Using Data

Abstract Background/Aims To quantify the risk of death among people with vasculitis during the UK 2020 COVID-19 epidemic compared with baseline risk, risk during annual influenza seasons and risk of death in the general population during COVID-19. Methods We performed a cohort study using data from the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS) under their legal permissions (CAG 10-02(d)/2015). Coded diagnoses for vasculitis (ANCA-associated vasculitis, Takayasu arteritis, Behçet's disease, and giant cell arteritis) were identified from Hospital Episode Statistics from 2003 onwards. Previous coding validation work demonstrated a positive predictive value >85%. The main outcome measure was age-standardised mortality rates (ASMRs) for all-cause death. ONS published data were used for general population mortality rates. Results We identified 55,110 people with vasculitis (median age 74.9 (IQR 64.1-82.7) years, 68.0% female) alive 01 March 2020. During March-April 2020, 892 (1.6%) died of any cause. The crude mortality rate was 9773.0 (95% CI 9152.3-10,435.9) per 100,000 person-years. The ASMR was 2567.5 per 100,000 person-years, compared to 1361.1 (1353.6-1368.7) in the general population (see table). The ASMR in March-April 2020 was 1.4 times higher than the mean ASMR for March-April 2015-2019 (1965.6). The increase in deaths during March-April 2020 occurred at a younger age than in the general population. We went on to investige the effect of previous influenza seasons. The 2014/15 season saw the greatest excess all-cause mortality nationally in recent years, and there were 624 deaths in 38,888 people (6472.5 person-years) with vasculitis in our data (crude mortality rate 9640.8 (8913.3-10427.7); The ASMR was 2657.6, which was marginally higher than the ASMR among people with vasculitis recorded during March-April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion People with vasculitis are at increased risk of death during circulating COVID-19 and influenza epidemics. The ASMR among people with vasculitis was high both during the 2014/15 influenza season and during the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic. COVID-19 vaccination and annual influenza vaccination for people with vasculitis are both important, regardless of patient age. Disclosure M. Rutter: None. P.C. Lanyon: Grants/research support; PCL has received funding for research from Vifor Pharma.. M.J. Grainge: None. R.B. Hubbard: None. E.J. Peach: Grants/research support; EJP has received funding for research from Vifor Pharma. M. Bythell: None. J. Aston: None. S. Stevens: None. F.A. Pearce: Grants/research support; FAP has received funding for research from Vifor Pharma..

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ABO blood types and sepsis mortality

Annals of Intensive Care ◽

10.1186/s13613-021-00844-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Theis S. Itenov ◽

Daniel I. Sessler ◽

Ashish K. Khanna ◽

Sisse R. Ostrowski ◽

Pär I. Johansson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Critically Ill ◽

Critically Ill Patients ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

The United States ◽

Endothelial Damage ◽

Blood Type ◽

Type B ◽

Blood Concentrations ◽

Soluble Thrombomodulin ◽

Blood Types

Abstract Background We aimed to determine if the ABO blood types carry different risks of 30-day mortality, acute kidney injury (AKI), and endothelial damage in critically ill patients with sepsis. This was a retrospective cohort study of three independent cohorts of critically ill patients from the United States and Scandinavia consisting of adults with septic shock. We compared the 30-day mortality across the blood types within each cohort and pooled the results in a meta-analysis. We also estimated the incidence of AKI and degree of endothelial damage, as measured by blood concentrations of soluble thrombomodulin and syndecan-1. Results We included 12,342 patients with severe sepsis. In a pooled analysis blood type B carried a slightly lower risk of 30-day all-cause mortality compared to non-blood type B (adjusted HR 0.88; 95%-CI 0.79–0.98; p = 0.02). There was no difference in the risk of AKI. Soluble thrombomodulin and syndecan-1 concentrations were lower in patients with blood type B and O compared to blood type A, suggesting less endothelial damage. Conclusion Septic patients with blood type B had less endothelial damage, and a small reduction in mortality. The exposure is, however, unmodifiable.

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Long-term mortality rates and associated risk factors following primary and revision knee arthroplasty

The Bone & Joint Journal ◽

10.1302/0301-620x.104b1.bjj-2021-0753.r1 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 104-B (1) ◽

pp. 45-52

Author(s):

Liam Zen Yapp ◽

Nick D. Clement ◽

Matthew Moran ◽

Jon V. Clarke ◽

A. Hamish R. W. Simpson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Knee Arthroplasty ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Revision Knee Arthroplasty ◽

Risk Of Mortality ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Male Sex ◽

Long Term Mortality

Aims The aim of this study was to determine the long-term mortality rate, and to identify factors associated with this, following primary and revision knee arthroplasty (KA). Methods Data from the Scottish Arthroplasty Project (1998 to 2019) were retrospectively analyzed. Patient mortality data were linked from the National Records of Scotland. Analyses were performed separately for the primary and revised KA cohorts. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was calculated for the population at risk. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards were used to identify predictors and estimate relative mortality risks. Results At a median 7.4 years (interquartile range (IQR) 4.0 to 11.6) follow-up, 27.8% of primary (n = 27,474/98,778) and 31.3% of revision (n = 2,611/8,343) KA patients had died. Both primary and revision cohorts had lower mortality rates than the general population (SMR 0.74 (95% CI 0.73 to 0.74); p < 0.001; SMR 0.83 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.86); p < 0.001, respectively), which persisted for 12 and eighteight years after surgery, respectively. Factors associated with increased risk of mortality after primary KA included male sex (hazard ratio (HR) 1.40 (95% CI 1.36 to 1.45)), increasing socioeconomic deprivation (HR 1.43 (95% CI 1.36 to 1.50)), inflammatory polyarthropathy (HR 1.79 (95% CI 1.68 to 1.90)), greater number of comorbidities (HR 1.59 (95% CI 1.51 to 1.68)), and periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) requiring revision (HR 1.92 (95% CI 1.57 to 2.36)) when adjusting for age. Similarly, male sex (HR 1.36 (95% CI 1.24 to 1.49)), increasing socioeconomic deprivation (HR 1.31 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.52)), inflammatory polyarthropathy (HR 1.24 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.37)), greater number of comorbidities (HR 1.64 (95% CI 1.33 to 2.01)), and revision for PJI (HR 1.35 (95% 1.18 to 1.55)) were independently associated with an increased risk of mortality following revision KA when adjusting for age. Conclusion The SMR of patients undergoing primary and revision KA was lower than that of the general population and remained so for several years post-surgery. However, approximately one in four patients undergoing primary and one in three patients undergoing revision KA died within tenten years of surgery. Several patient and surgical factors, including PJI, were associated with the risk of mortality within ten years of primary and revision surgery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(1):45–52.

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Mortality following new-onset Rheumatoid Arthritis: has modern Rheumatology had an impact?

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-212131 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 77 (1) ◽

pp. 85-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Marie Holmqvist ◽

Lotta Ljung ◽

Johan Askling

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

General Population ◽

Excess Mortality ◽

Disease Onset ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Calendar Time ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Quality Register ◽

Increased Risk ◽

New Onset

ObjectiveTo investigate if, and when, patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in recent years are at increased risk of death.MethodsUsing an extensive register linkage, we designed a population-based nationwide cohort study in Sweden. Patients with new-onset RA from the Swedish Rheumatology Quality Register, and individually matched comparators from the general population were followed with respect to death, as captured by the total population register.Results17 512 patients with new-onset RA between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2014, and 78 847 matched general population comparator subjects were followed from RA diagnosis until death, emigration or 31 December 2015. There was a steady decrease in absolute mortality rates over calendar time, both in the RA cohort and in the general population. Although the relative risk of death in the RA cohort was not increased (HR=1.01, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.06), an excess mortality in the RA cohort was present 5 years after RA diagnosis (HR after 10 years since RA diagnosis=1.43 (95% CI 1.28 to 1.59)), across all calendar periods of RA diagnosis. Taking RA disease duration into account, there was no clear trend towards lower excess mortality for patients diagnosed more recently.ConclusionsDespite decreasing mortality rates, RA continues to be linked to an increased risk of death. Thus, despite advancements in RA management during recent years, increased efforts to prevent disease progression and comorbidity, from disease onset, are needed.

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Pattern of Glucose Tolerance among Patients with Peripheral Spondyloarthritis

Volume 5 - 2020, Issue 9 - September - International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ◽

10.38124/ijisrt20sep549 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (9) ◽

pp. 773-777

Author(s):

A T M Tanveer Hasan ◽

Al-Mamun .

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

General Population ◽

Glucose Tolerance ◽

Inflammatory Diseases ◽

Age Groups ◽

Oral Glucose ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Study Population ◽

Peripheral Spondyloarthritis

Peripheral spondyloarthritis is a variant of spondyloarthritis which usually has a chronic course. There is an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases among patients with chronic inflammatory diseases in general. Coexisting diabetes mellitus can potentially add to the risk. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of glucose intolerance in patients with spondyloarthritis The study was conducted among 35 participants with peripheral spondyloarthritis who visited the Department of Rheumatology, Enam Medical College & Hospital, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh from September, 2018 to January, 2020. The participants underwent either oral glucose tolerance test or estimation of HbA1C. The mean age of participants was 43.96 years. The majority (80%) of them were young to muddle-aged (≤40 years). 22.9% of the participants were prediabetic. Diabetes mellitus was found to be present in 37.1% of the participants. There was no significant difference between the study population and the general population in terms of frequency of prediabetes. But the frequency of diabetes in the study population was higher than that in the general population. There was no significant difference between males and females with regard to the frequencies of prediabetes and DM. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the frequencies of prediabetes and DM between young and middle-aged to elderly population. Considering the greater burden of DM among patients with peripheral spondyloarthritis across all age groups, routine screening for DM may be indicated in these individuals.

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New Onset of Atrial Fibrillation" as an Outcome Predictor in Critically Ill Patients with Sepsis: A Systemic Review

QJM ◽

10.1093/qjmed/hcab086.071 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 114 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Mohamed W Mohamed ◽

Mostafa K Riyad ◽

Ahmed M Khamis ◽

Heba F Toulan

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Critically Ill ◽

Critically Ill Patients ◽

Cardiac Arrhythmias ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Systemic Review ◽

Common Occurrence ◽

Severity Of Disease ◽

Increased Risk ◽

New Onset

Abstract Background Evidence of various cardiac arrhythmias in septic patients has been demonstrated by multiple clinical reports and observations .Most cardiac arrhythmias in sepsis are new-onset and may be related to sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction, autonomic dysfunction and, most likely also, by impairment and involvement of the cardiac conduction system. Aim of the Work to describe the incidence of NOAF and to determine the risk factors associated with its development, as well as its clinical course and its effect on the outcome of patients with sepsis admitted to the ICU. Patients and Methods A systematic search was conducted to retrieve articles that investigated the association of NOAF in patients diagnosed with sepsis. We identified potential Englishlanguage sources from the PubMed, Medline, and EMBASE databases. Keywords used were “atrial fibrillation” and (“sepsis” or “septic shock”). In addition, reference lists of any studies meeting inclusion criteria were reviewed manually to identify additional relevant publications. Results In our meta-analysis, we found that NOAF is a common occurrence in critically ill patients with sepsis, and its incidence rises with increasing severity of disease. Also, we found that NOAF in sepsis patients is significantly associated with increased risk of ICU. In hospital, and After hospital discharge mortality, as well as, increased risk of developing ischemic stroke. Conclusion NOAF is a common occurrence in critically ill patients with sepsis, and its incidence rises with increasing severity of disease. Our Meta-analysis suggests that it is independently associated with poor outcome. In view of these findings there is a need for better quality observational studies, because reliable identification of patients with sepsis who are prone for the development of AF may allow for early pharmacological interventions to prevent this complication.

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Mortality, causes of death and influence of medication use in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus vs matched controls

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/keaa267 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 207-216

Author(s):

Irene E M Bultink ◽

Frank de Vries ◽

Ronald F van Vollenhoven ◽

Arief Lalmohamed

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Practice Research ◽

Clinical Practice Research Datalink ◽

Risk Of Mortality ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Specific Mortality ◽

Age And Sex

Abstract Objectives We wanted to estimate the magnitude of the risk from all-cause, cause-specific and sex-specific mortality in patients with SLE and relative risks compared with matched controls and to evaluate the influence of exposure to medication on risk of mortality in SLE. Methods We conducted a population-based cohort study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, Hospital Episode Statistics and national death certificates (from 1987 to 2012). Each SLE patient (n = 4343) was matched with up to six controls (n = 21 780) by age and sex. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate overall and cause-specific mortality rate ratios. Results Patients with SLE had a 1.8-fold increased mortality rate for all-cause mortality compared with age- and sex-matched subjects [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.57, 2.08]. The HR was highest in patients aged 18–39 years (adjusted HR = 4.87, 95% CI: 1.93, 12.3). Mortality rates were not significantly different between male and female patients. Cumulative glucocorticoid use raised the mortality rate, whereas the HR was reduced by 45% with cumulative low-dose HCQ use. Patients with SLE had increased cause-specific mortality rates for cardiovascular disease, infections, non-infectious respiratory disease and for death attributable to accidents or suicide, whereas the mortality rate for cancer was reduced in comparison to controls. Conclusion British patients with SLE had a 1.8-fold increased mortality rate compared with the general population. Glucocorticoid use and being diagnosed at a younger age were associated with an increased risk of mortality. HCQ use significantly reduced the mortality rate, but this association was found only in the lowest cumulative dosage exposure group.

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Risk of death among people with rare autoimmune diseases compared to the general population in England during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/keaa855 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Emily Peach ◽

Megan Rutter ◽

Peter Lanyon ◽

Matthew J Grainge ◽

Richard Hubbard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Published Data ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Specific Mortality ◽

Population Mortality ◽

The Uk ◽

Recorded Diagnosis

Abstract Objectives To quantify the risk of death among people with rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases (RAIRD) during the UK 2020 COVID-19 pandemic compared with the general population, and compared with their pre-COVID risk. Methods We conducted a cohort study in Hospital Episode Statistics for England 2003 onwards, and linked data from the NHS Personal Demographics Service. We used ONS published data for general population mortality rates. Results We included 168 691 people with a recorded diagnosis of RAIRD alive on 01/03/2020. Their median age was 61.7 (IQR 41.5–75.4) years, and 118 379 (70.2%) were female. Our case ascertainment methods had a positive predictive value of 85%. 1,815 (1.1%) participants died during March and April 2020. The age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) among people with RAIRD (3669.3, 95% CI 3500.4–3838.1 per 100 000 person-years) was 1.44 (95% CI 1.42–1.45) times higher than the average ASMR during the same months of the previous 5 years, whereas in the general population of England it was 1.38 times higher. Age-specific mortality rates in people with RAIRD compared with the pre-COVID rates were higher from the age of 35 upwards, whereas in the general population the increased risk began from age 55 upwards. Women had a greater increase in mortality rates during COVID-19 compared with men. Conclusion The risk of all-cause death is more prominently raised during COVID-19 among people with RAIRD than among the general population. We urgently need to quantify how much risk is due to COVID-19 infection and how much is due to disruption to healthcare services.

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Exposure To ABO Compatible But Non-Group Identical Blood and In-Hospital Mortality

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v122.21.3651.3651 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (21) ◽

pp. 3651-3651

Author(s):

Richard J Cook ◽

Nancy Heddle ◽

Ker-Ai Lee ◽

Yang Liu ◽

Rebecca Barty, MLT ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hospital Mortality ◽

Research Funding ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Type A ◽

Blood Type ◽

Hospital Death ◽

Trauma Patients ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Blood Types ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Background Transfusions that are ABO compatible but not group identical (mismatched) are given for a variety of reasons including inventory availability, avoiding wastage from outdating, and clinical urgency. A recent observation at our centre suggested that patient outcome was different for those patients that received a transfusion of units with a compatible but mismatched ABO group compared to those receiving ABO group identical blood. Hence, we performed a retrospective hospital registry study to explore the association between mismatched blood and in-hospital mortality in transfused patients. Study Design Our patient/blood utilization database included 35,487 transfused hospitalized patients from 3 acute care academic centres from April 1, 2002 to October 31, 2011. Information on transfused RBCs included duration of storage (days) and ABO type. Patient data included: sex; age; hemoglobin; creatinine; diagnosis; interventions; ABO blood group and hospital discharge status. Factors associated with mismatched blood and in-hospital mortality were examined using generalized estimating equations to account for the potential serial dependence over multiple transfusions. The effect of exposure to ABO mismatched blood on in-hospital death was examined through Cox regression with time-dependent strata defined by: year of first admission; disease group; and the cumulative number of units transfused (≤ 7 days of storage; > 7 days but ≤ 28 days storage; and, >28 days of storage); and, controlling for available baseline and time-varying characteristics. Results 18,843 patients (blood groups A, B and AB), with complete covariates contributed to the analysis. Factors associated with transfusion of mismatched blood included: younger patient age (p<0.0001); lower hemoglobin (p<0.0001); higher creatinine (p<0.0001); intervention during hospitalization (OR=4.6, p<0.0001); and, patient ABO group whereby blood types A and B were much less likely to receive a mismatched unit compared to type AB patients (p<0.0001). There was a statistically significant interaction between patient blood type and the effect of receiving mismatched blood (p=0.034) with type A patients incurring a 79% higher risk of death (RR=1.79, 95% CI: 1.20, 2.67; p=0.0047); other patient blood types did not suggest increased risk. Similar results were observed when suspected trauma patients (≥ 6 units within 24 hours) were excluded from the analysis (Table 1). Conclusion Controlling for known potential confounders through Cox regression yielded evidence of increased risk of in-hospital mortality among blood type A patients receiving group O red cells. This association remained after suspected trauma patients were excluded from the analyses. Further study of the association observed in this study is warranted. Disclosures: Cook: CIHR: Research Funding. Heddle:CIHR: Research Funding; Canadian Blood Services: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Health Canada: Research Funding. Eikelboom:CIHR: Research Funding.

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Spanish Consensus on Physical Health in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(09)70826-0 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (S1) ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

J. Saiz-Ruiz ◽

J. Bobes ◽

E. Vieta ◽

J. Mostaza

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

General Population ◽

Physical Health ◽

Psychosocial Functioning ◽

General Medicine ◽

Diagnostic Procedures ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

Morbidity And Mortality ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Co Morbidity

Background and objective:Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness which may affect between 2% and 5% of the population. These patients present much higher morbidity and mortality rates than the general population. In addition to a higher mortality rate from suicide, they also have a higher prevalence of other physical disorders.The purpose of this consensus is to establish recommendations for diagnostic procedures and clinical interventions in order to control the risk factors which have repercussions on the physical health of the patients.Methods:After carrying out a systematic review of medical co-morbidity and mortality rates in bipolar disorder, two multidisciplinary consensus meetings were held in which 31 psychiatrists and 11 experts from other medical specialities participated.Working groups were formed for each speciality for the purposes of adapting the guidelines applied in the general population to these patients.Results:The bibliographical review revealed an increased risk of hypertension, obesity, smoking, pulmonary diseases, migraine and HIV infection. There is evidence of higher mortality rates from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and infections, as well as from suicide. The expert group reached consensus on a series of basic measures for detecting medical co-morbidity. The resulting recommendations will be validated by Spanish Psychiatry and General Medicine Associations.Conclusion:The physical health of patients with bipolar disorder could be improved. It is hoped that the publication of this consensus will have an impact in terms of better psychosocial functioning, quality of life and life expectancy for these patients in Spain.

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