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Mortality in patients with schizophrenia in Japan

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Abstract

Purpose

Patients with schizophrenia have a higher mortality risk than the general population. However, no recent studies have investigated mortality in patients with schizophrenia in Japan. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective study to evaluate excess mortality and risk factors for mortality in patients with schizophrenia in Japan.

Methods

We included patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder at Yamanashi Prefectural Kita Hospital between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2017. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were used to compare mortality rates between patients with schizophrenia and the general population. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate risk factors associated with mortality.

Results

Of the 1,699 patients with schizophrenia (893 men and 806 women), 104 (55 men and 49 women) died during the study period. The all-cause SMR (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 2.18 (1.76–2.60); the natural- and unnatural-cause SMRs were 2.06 (1.62–2.50) and 5.07 (2.85–7.30), respectively. Men (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.10–4.56), age (adjusted OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.09–1.16), and barbiturate use (adjusted OR = 8.17, 95% CI = 2.07–32.32) were associated with the risk of mortality.

Conclusion

The mortality rate remains high in patients with schizophrenia in Japan. Further studies are needed to evaluate mortality trends in this population.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the staff of Yamanashi Prefectural Kita Hospital for their assistance with the data collection.

Funding

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Section Evidence-Based Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaningerstr. 69, 81675, Munich, Germany

    Nobuyuki Nomura

  2. Department of Neuropsychiatry, Yamanashi Prefectural Kita Hospital, Yamanashi, Japan

    Nobuyuki Nomura, Fuminari Misawa & Yasuo Fujii

  3. Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan

    Nobuyuki Nomura & Hiroyoshi Takeuchi

Authors
  1. Nobuyuki Nomura
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  2. Fuminari Misawa
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  3. Yasuo Fujii
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  4. Hiroyoshi Takeuchi
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. NN contributed to the acquisition and analysis of data. NN and HT contributed to drafting the manuscript. All authors agreed for publication of the final manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Nobuyuki Nomura or Hiroyoshi Takeuchi.

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Conflict of interest

Dr. N.N. has received speaker fees from Eisai, Meiji Seika Pharma, Otsuka, and Sumitomo Pharma; and manuscript fees from Sumitomo Pharma. Dr. F.M. has received speaker fees from Eisai, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Novartis Pharma, Otsuka, Pfizer, Sumitomo Pharma. Dr. Y.F. has received speaker fees from Janssen, Novartis Pharma, and Otsuka. Dr. H.T. has received grants from Daiichi Sankyo and Novartis Pharma; speaker fees from EA Pharma, Eisai, Janssen, Kyowa, Lundbeck, Meiji Seika Pharma, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, MSD, Otsuka, Sumitomo Pharma, Takeda, and Yoshitomiyakuhin; and consulting fees from Janssen, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Ono, and Sumitomo Pharma.

Consent to participate

This study was approved by the Yamanashi Prefectural Kita Hospital Institutional Review Board. We used the opt-out system for this study. Written informed consent was waived because this study is a retrospective design and using anonymous data. The information about this study and the opt-out system was displayed on the web.

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Nomura, N., Misawa, F., Fujii, Y. et al. Mortality in patients with schizophrenia in Japan. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-023-02592-z

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