The well-known fact about schizophrenic patients is that they have an increased mortality compared to the general population. According to numerous studies the most important cause of increased mortality in schizophrenic patients is cardiovascular disease, whose higher frequency is often associated with an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in these patients.

To determine the prevalence of MS and its components in schizophrenic patients.

Our study group consisted of schizophrenic patients from the University Clinical Hospital Mostar (n=100). The control group consisted of healthy subjects who came to the systematic medical examinations in the Health Center Mostar (n=100). The diagnosis of MS was made according to ATP III criteria.

In the total sample there were 37.5% subjects who met the MS diagnostic criteria. Schizophrenic subjects had a higher prevalence of MS compared to the control group (p=0.013). There were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of the number of MS components between the group of schizophrenic subjects and the control group (p=0.234). Schizophrenic subjects had significantly more frequently low HDL cholesterol concentrations compared to the control group (p=0.001). Schizophrenic subjects with MS had significantly more frequently higher age compared to the schizophrenic subjects without MS (p=0.002). Other sociodemographic variables were not significantly associated with MS in schizophrenic subjects.

The prevalence of MS was statistically higher in schizophrenic subjects compared to the control group. Schizophrenic subjects with MS had a higher age compared to the schizophrenic subjects without MS.