Dilated cardiomyopathy in patients with schizophrenia

Aim. To study the frequency of pathoanatomic and some clinical signs of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in schizophrenic patients (SPs). Subjects and methods. Autopsy records were studied in 838 SPs treated at a psychiatric hospital in 1952 to 2007. The records were used to select DCM cases (n=74) and sudden deaths (n=101) and to examine 339 electrocardiograms (ECG). The 2006-2007 information obtained in the dissecting rooms of three Tver hospitals (1413 sections) was analyzed. Results. DCM was absent (neuroleptics were not used) before 1956. With the application of neuroleptics, the diagnosis of DCM cases significantly increased and its rate was 14.2% among the dead SPs. DCM might be a cause of sudden death in 21.8% of SPs. The rate of pathological ECG signs noticeably increased with the longer use of neuroleptics. In the hospital-wide network, the detection rate for DCM was 0.5% of the autopsies. Conclusion. The use of neuroleptics, in SPs in particular, may lead to the development of DCM.