Treatment of Co-Morbid Mental Illness in Primary Care: How to Minimize Weight Gain, Diabetes, and Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

In patients with mental illness the increased risk from cardiovascular disease appears to be related to the increased incidence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Barriers to the medical care in this patient population include diminished adherence to treatment and preventative recommendations, lack of willingness to engage in self-care activities, decreased access to affordable medical care, underestimation of risk by physicians, and adverse effects of commonly prescribed psychiatric medications. When managing patients with mental illness it is necessary to estimate the patient's metabolic and cardiovascular risk, monitor BMI, waist circumference, fasting glucose, and lipid profile regularly, evaluate psychiatric medications metabolic risk, and choose less “metabolically threatening” drugs. The promotion of healthy lifestyle choices among persons with serious mental illness is essential not only as part of their recovery, but as an integral part of preventing metabolic changes and weight gain linked to their illness and medication side effects. In patients with mental illness and co-morbid diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity, psychiatrist and primary care clinicians should collaborate to establish a plan for healthy lifestyle habits (diet and activity regimen), encourage weight loss, and follow-up regularly using multispecialty teams to improve management.