DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog

Thanks to medical advances, cardiovascular disease is claiming fewer lives.  According to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, however, patients with mental illness aren't benefitting from those advances.  John Newcomer, M.D., of Washington University School of Medicine writes that patients with illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression lose 25 to 30 years of their lives compared to the rest of the population -- not primarily to suicide, but primarily to undiagnosed and untreated medical conditions such as heart disease. 

According to Newcomer, mental illness impairs an individual's ability to work and earn a living, so those with mental illness tend to have lower incomes and less healthy dietary habits, in general.  Those patients are also much more likely to smoke. 

Worse, many psychiatric medications contribute to unhealthy weight gain, because they make patients less active, and in some cases, actually stimulate the appetite.  Research suggests that many of these medications adversely affect glucose metabolism and lipid levels.  Despite this knowledge, however, patients with mental illness are less likely than others to be screened for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes. 

A lack of communication between psychiatrists and primary care physicians accounts for many instances in which serious health concerns go untreated.  Newcomer advises that psychiatrists should routinely weigh their patients, check their blood pressures, screen blood glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and experiment with alternate medications that may have more tolerable side-effects.

Previously on the DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we have posted articles related to:

• Results of the first comprehensive survey of maternal depression
• Signs your child could have a pervasive developmental disorder
• CDC's Top 10 threats to men's health

If you or a family member believe you have a case involving injuries related to medical treatment of depression or mental illness, please contact us on-line at Regan Zambri & Long or call us at 202-463-3030 for a free consultation. If you would like to receive our electronic newsletter, then please click here.