Assessment of Cardiometabolic Risk Reveals Elevated C-Reactive Protein Levels in Patients with Deficit Schizophrenia after Adjustment for Lifestyle Characteristics

Previous studies investigating cardiovascular indicators in people with deficit schizophrenia (D-SCZ) have provided mixed findings. None of these studies controlled for the effects of lifestyle characteristics. We aimed to compare cardiometabolic parameters between patients with deficit schizophrenia (D-SCZ), those with nondeficit schizophrenia (ND-SCZ) and healthy control subjects (HCs) while taking into consideration lifestyle characteristics. A total of 168 participants were assessed. The following parameters were determined from serum samples: total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). The levels of CRP, but not other parameters, were significantly higher in patients with D-SCZ compared with those with ND-SCZ and HCs after adjustment for body mass index, adherence to Mediterranean diet, level of physical activity, nicotine dependence and dosage of antipsychotics. Higher levels of CRP were associated with lower attention in patients with schizophrenia as well as lower immediate memory and global cognition in healthy controls. Moreover, a significant positive relationship between the concentration of CRP and severity of negative symptoms was observed. These findings suggest that individuals with D-SCZ show subclinical inflammation that cannot be simply explained by an unhealthy lifestyle. Elevated CRP levels might be associated with cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.