Risk factors for coronary heart disease among inpatients who have mild intellectual disability and mental illness.
Over half of adult inpatients with mild ID and mental illness smoke and a third are obese—screen for these CHD risks routinely.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team visited a hospital and asked 53 adults with mild intellectual disability and mental illness about smoking and weight.
They simply counted how many people smoked and how many were obese.
What they found
More than half of the patients smoked.
About one in three were obese.
Both numbers are far higher than rates seen in the general public.
How this fits with other research
Matson et al. (2009) asked the same questions in a community sample and got almost the same obesity rate, showing the problem is not just in hospitals.
Lerner et al. (2012) added blood tests and found that higher weight went hand-in-hand with higher triglycerides, giving a clearer warning sign you can check.
Murthy et al. (2021) tracked people for five years and showed that obesity plus diabetes drives high cholesterol, so catching weight gain early matters.
Moss (2009) ran a 12-week group exercise program and cut inactivity from 85 % to 50 %, proving these risks can be lowered with structured activity.
Why it matters
If you support adults with dual diagnosis, add two quick questions to every visit: "Do you smoke?" and "What is your weight today?" When either answer raises concern, flag for on-site smoking education or a three-day-a-week exercise group. These simple screens can catch the risks this paper highlights before they turn into heart disease.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK. The aim of this study was to screen inpatients with mild or borderline intellectual disability, many of whom also have mental illness, for risk factors for CHD. METHODS: Cross sectional survey. Participants were interviewed, measured and had blood samples taken. RESULTS: Of the 53 participants, 20 (37.7%) were overweight and 18 (34.0%) obese. The mean body mass index (BMI) of those participants prescribed regular antipsychotics was higher than those who were not. Nine (20.9%) had waist circumference measurements placing them at increased risk of CHD and 21 (48.8%) were at substantially increased risk. Twenty-eight (52.8%) were current smokers. Of the 49 participants who had their blood pressure measured, 3 (6.1%) had readings above the reference range. Of the 19 participants who had random blood tests, one (5.3%) had an elevated cholesterol level. CONCLUSIONS: In this population there was a high prevalence of two risk factors for CHD (obesity and smoking), requiring ongoing monitoring and long-term measures to reduce risk.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2005 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00600.x