Diabetes and Schizophrenia

People with schizophrenia have 2- to 5-fold higher risk of type 2 diabetes than the general population. The traditional risk factors for type 2 diabetes, especially obesity, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle, are common in people with schizophrenia already early in the course of illness. People with schizophrenia also often have low socioeconomic status and income, which affects their possibilities to make healthy lifestyle choices. Antipsychotic medications increase the risk of type 2 diabetes both directly by affecting insulin sensitivity and indirectly by causing weight gain. Lifestyle modification interventions for prevention of diabetes should be an integral part of treatment of patients with schizophrenia. In the treatment of type 2 diabetes in patients with schizophrenia, communication and collaboration between medical care and psychiatric treatment providers are essential.