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Risk for diabetes greater in relatives of patients with schizophrenia
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Relatives of patients with schizophrenia are more likely to develop diabetes compared with the general population, according to data published in Schizophrenia Research.
Hanneke van Welie, MD, from University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands, and colleagues administered the Family Interview for Genetic Studies (FIGS) to compare diabetes rates in 1,740 first- and second-, or third-degree relatives of patients with a non-affective psychotic disorder with a control group (n=1,271).
The difference between diabetes prevalence was greater among relatives of patients with psychosis aged older than 50 years (4.8% vs. 1.2% in patients aged 50 to 59 years; 5.4% vs. 2.5% in patients aged 60 to 69 years), according to a press release.
The prevalence of diabetes (6.1%) increased among relatives of patients compared with the relatives of healthy patients (3.6%; P=.007), abstract data indicate.
The researchers wrote that these findings support their hypothesis of a familial or genetic link between diabetes and non-affective psychotic disorders.
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