Psychiatric Disorders Significantly Increase Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death, reveals research

The key findings of the study were as follows:

Mortality and SCD Prevalence:

• Total deaths were 45,703, of which 6,002 (13%) were SCD.

• Patients with psychiatric disorders had 1.79–6.45 times higher SCD rates than the general population, with varying age dependencies (p < 0.001).

Independent Association With Psychiatric Disorders

• Hazard ratio (HR) for SCD among patients with psychiatric disorders: 2.31 (2.19–2.43, p < 0.001).

• Patients with schizophrenia had the highest risk, with an HR of 4.51 (3.95–5.16, p < 0.001).

Impact on Younger Patients:

• For an 18-year-old with a psychiatric disorder, the expected decline in life expectancy was 10 years.

• Among those 18 to 40 years old, 13% of excess lost life years were attributed to SCD.

This study demonstrated that psychiatric disorders significantly increase the risk of SCD across all age groups. The highest rates were observed in patients with schizophrenia, with young psychiatric patients suffering huge life expectancy reductions. Findings underline the critical need for proactive cardiovascular risk management in individuals with psychiatric conditions to reduce the disproportionate mortality burden.

Reference:

Mujkanovic, J., Warming, P. E., Kessing, L. V., Køber, L. V., Winkel, B. G., Lynge, T. H., & Tfelt-Hansen, J. (2024). Nationwide burden of sudden cardiac death among patients with a psychiatric disorder. Heart (British Cardiac Society), 110(23), 1365–1371.https://doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2024-324092