The prevalence, risk factors and clinical correlates of diabetes mellitus in Chinese patients with schizophrenia

Diabetes is one of the most common comorbid diseases in patients with schizophrenia. The present study examined the prevalence of diabetes and its clinical correlates in a large sample of Chinese patients with schizophrenia, which has not been examined systemically. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 1189 patients (males/females = 938/251; average age: 48.51 ± 10.09 years) were recruited. Fasting blood samples were collected to diagnose diabetes. Psychiatric symptoms were measured with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The prevalence of diabetes was 12.53% with a significant gender difference (males: 10.87% versus females: 18.73%). Compared to patients without diabetes, those with diabetes were older, had a later age of onset, had a higher BMI, had higher positive symptom scores and had higher level of metabolic indices, including triglyceride, cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. After stepwise binary logistic regression analysis, age, BMI, and triglyceride level remained significantly associated with diabetes. This study suggests that diabetes occur with high prevalence in Chinese schizophrenia patients. In addition, age, BMI, and triglyceride level possibly are useful markers predicting an increased risk for diabetes.

Sex Differences in the Prevalence and Clinical Features of Comorbid Depressive Symptoms in Never-Treated Chinese Patients With First-Episode Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Many studies have indicated a sex-specific effect in many aspects of schizophrenia. The presence of depressive symptomatology exists in all phases of schizophrenia. The aim of this study is to investigate the sex differences in the proportion of comorbid depressive symptoms and sex-specific relationships between depressive symptoms and clinical correlates in never-treated Chinese patients with first-episode schizophrenia (NTFE patients), which have not been reported yet.

METHODS

Via a cross-sectional design, 240 NTFE inpatients (male/female = 111/129) between ages 16 and 45 years and meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria of schizophrenia were recruited. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used for the psychopathology, and the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) for the comorbid depressive symptoms. This study was conducted from June 2013 to December 2015.

RESULTS

The proportion of patients with depressive symptoms (total score on HDRS-17 ≥ 8) in men was significantly higher than in women (male: 62.2%, female: 48.1%; χ²₁ = 4.28, P = .039). Male patients had significantly greater depressive symptoms as shown on the HDRS-17 than female patients (t1, 238 = 2.75, P = .006). Further, we found that age, the age at onset, smoking rate, and PANSS total and general psychopathology, negative symptoms, and cognitive factor subscores favored significant sex differences in female patients (all P < .05). Interestingly, we found sex differences in the correlation between the HDRS-17 score and clinical phenotype, showing that in male patients, the PANSS general psychopathology subscore (β = 0.75, t = 7.72, P < .001) and total score (β = 0.44, t = 4.81, P < .001) significantly predicted the HDRS-17 total score, while in female patients, the PANSS general psychopathology subscore (β = 0.74, t = 8.45, P < .001), total score (β = 0.47, t = 5.71, P < .001), and cognitive factor subscore (β = 0.24, t = 2.60, P < .001) significantly predicted the HDRS-17 total score.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate sex differences in the frequency and severity of comorbid depressive symptoms and in associations between depressive symptoms and clinical correlates in NTFE patients.

[Effect of ginseng on antiperoxidate injury in myocardium and erythrocytes in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats]

We have investigated the effect of ginseng on antiperoxidation in myocardium and erythrocytes of streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. In the group of ginseng administration (ginseng solution 0.2g/200g/day, lasting 15-16 days), there was a significant decrease in the level of fasting blood-glucose and lipid peroxide (LPO) in myocardium and erythrocytes, in comparing with that of model group, P < 0.05. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in myocardium and erythrocytes in group of ginseng administration was increased, P < 0.05, compared with that of model group and vitamin E treatment group. The mechanisms of antiperoxidation effect of ginseng might include the following: 1) By lowering the level of fasting blood-glucose, decreasing the rate of monosaccharide auto-oxidation and partially protecting the production of free radicals; 2) Elevating the activity of enzymatic free radicals scavenger in cells, such as SOD; 3) directly eliminating the superfluous free radicals.

Dialectic classification of syndrome diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine used as new criterion for evaluating prognosis of patients with cervical cancer

254 patients with cervical cancer were treated by radiotherapy from Jan 1979 to Dec 1984. All the patients were followed up at least for more than 3 years, of them 180 for over 5 years. According to various symptoms, picture of the tongue and pulse condition, the disease was classified into 4 types, namely: 1) deficiency of liver-yin and kidney-yin, 2) deficiency of splenic qi, 3) internal retention of damp-heat, and 4) stagnation of qi and blood or stagnation of liver qi. The survival rate of the various types was quite different. The patients of type 4 had the worst prognosis. The prognosis of patients with type 1 was significantly better than that of patients with type 4. The difference was of statistical significance (P less than 0.01).