Got Bipolar? You're at Risk for Metabolic Syndrome, Too

A study found that people with bipolar disorder are up to twice as likely as the general population to have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that increase your risk of heart problems, stroke and diabetes. The study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, also found that "co-occurrence of metabolic syndrome in the bipolar population is associated with a more complex illness presentation, less favorable response to treatment, and adverse course and outcome." In other words, for people with bipolar disorder, both are likely to be more serious and harder to treat. Why are people with bipolar more likely to have metabolic syndrome? Some reasons are obvious: many bipolar medications cause significant weight gain which greatly increases the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome, and people with bipolar disorder may not take good care of their health and diet during episodes. Others are harder to pin down. Is there a biological or genetic connection between BP and metabolic syndrome? Does the stress of bipolar moods, anger, etc., make the body more vulnerable? How does the stress hormone cortisol play a role? The clear message about this and prior studies is that people with bipolar disorder need to be monitored for high blood pressure, low "good" cholesterol, elevated "bad" and total cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar, and fat around the waistline and abdomen. Then the symptoms need to be treated promptly and checked up on regularly. As the study a...
Source: About.com Bipolar Disorder - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: news