Patients with schizophrenia are at greater risk for metabolicsyndrome (MetS) and other cardiovascular risk factors.

Determine the prevalence of MetSand its criteria among patients with Schizophrenia (Sz) according to therevised criteria of NCEP ATP III and assess which component contributed to theincreased risk of the MetS in schizophrenia patients.

Case-control study carried out among patients with Schizophrenia (SZ) and healthy subjects above20 years old. Outpatient clinics of the Psychiatry department and Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres in Qatar. The study based on matched by age and gender of 233 cases and 466controls. Face to faceinterviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire followed bylaboratory tests. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the National CholesterolEducation Program – Third Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III).

The prevalence of MetS among schizophrenic patients (36.5%) weresignificantly higher than healthy subjects (18.7%) (p<0.001). The prevalence of MetS in schizophrenicsubjects was reported to be two times higher than in the general population. The MetS components were higher among schizophrenic patients than healthy subjects. Among the components of MetS, centralobesity (63.9%) was the most common criteria among patients compared to healthysubjects (45.7%) (p<0.001). Schizophrenic patients (27%) were significantly obese than the healthysubjects (13.1%). Female schizophrenia patientswere more likely to have three or more metabolic

The metabolic syndrome was highly malities compared to men.

prevalentin patients with schizophrenia. The female gender was significantly associatedwith a higher prevalence of MetS.