Correlação entre desempenho cognitivo e risco cardiovascular em pacientes com Esquizofrenia

Abstract

Cognitive impairment is a central feature of schizophrenia and is related to deficits in self-care, the capacity for independent life and interpersonal relationships. Schizophrenia is also characterized by high rates of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. People with schizophrenia have almost twice the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with the general population. The aim of this study was to assess cognitive performance and cardiovascular risk in patients with schizophrenia and verify the correlation between these two aspects that significantly impact the lives of these individuals. Patients underwent clinical evaluation and cognitive assessment (BACS and SCoRS). Cardiovascular risk was measured by two parameters, the metabolic syndrome and the Framingham score. Results showed that cognitive performance was inversely associated with cardiovascular risk. Positive, negative and depressive symptoms, on the other hand, were not significantly associated with cardiovascular risk. Further studies are needed to verify the causal relationship between cognition and cardiovascular risk.