Study: Schizophrenia Has Significant Effects on Life Expectancy

A recent meta-analysis found that patients with schizophrenia had a high rate of potential life loss and low life expectancy globally.

Several studies have shown that patients with schizophrenia have a higher mortality rate than the general population using relative measures, such as standardized mortality ratios.
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In order to test the relationship using “more direct, absolute measures of increased mortality,” researchers conducted a meta-analysis of data from 247,603 patients with schizophrenia from 11 publications. One study was conducted in Africa, 1 in Asia, 1 in Australia, 7 in Europe, and 3 in North America.

Researchers performed subgroup analyses for sex, geographical region, timing of publication, and risk of bias, and combined data from individual studies as weighted averages in meta-analyses.

Overall, schizophrenia was associated with a weighted average of 14.5 years for potential life lost. Potential life lost was higher in men than women, with 15.9 for men compared to 13.6 for women. The Asian study had the least life loss and the African study had the greatest.

In addition, the weighted average life expectancy was 64.7 years, (59.9 for men and 67.6 for women). The life expectancy for patients with schizophrenia was the lowest in both Asia and Africa.

Assessments for publication biases and timing showed little effect on results.

“The effects of schizophrenia on years potential life lost and life expectancy seem to be substantial and not to have lessened over time. Development and implementation of interventions and initiatives to reduce this mortality gap are urgently needed,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Hjorthøj C, Stürup AE, McGrath JJ, and Nordentoft M. Years of potential life lost and life expectancy in schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis [published online February 21, 2017]. Lancet Psychiatry. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30078-0.