Living with bipolar disorder, a serious mental illness that causes extreme mood changes, can be very tough. Not only does it make daily life harder, but it also increases the risk of dying early.
A recent study has shed light on just how big this risk is, especially when compared to other life-shortening factors.
Researchers from the University of Michigan looked at two different groups of people and found that those with bipolar disorder were four to six times more likely to die early than those without it.
This was a much higher risk than even smoking, which doubled the chance of dying early, whether someone had bipolar disorder or not.
These findings, reported in the journal Psychiatry Research, highlight a need for better ways to prevent early deaths in people with bipolar disorder.
Anastasia Yocum, the lead author of the study, emphasized that they wanted to see how bipolar disorder alone affects the risk of dying early, compared to other factors.
The team started with data from 1,128 people, some with bipolar disorder and some without, from a long-term study. They found that nearly all of the 56 deaths since 2006 were among the 847 participants with bipolar disorder.
After adjusting the data for other factors, they found that bipolar disorder made someone six times more likely to die over a 10-year period than those without it.
Then, they looked at records from more than 18,000 patients from Michigan Medicine. Here too, they found that people with bipolar disorder were four times more likely to die during the study period than those without the disorder.
Interestingly, high blood pressure was the only factor that posed an even higher risk of death than bipolar disorder.
Smokers and older adults also had a higher risk of dying early, but these risks were lower than those associated with bipolar disorder.
Yocum and the team noticed some other differences too. People with bipolar disorder were more likely to have smoked, and they also had a higher chance of having other health issues like asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
What’s more, these health problems and smoking were linked to an even higher risk of death in those with bipolar disorder.
The study’s findings are crucial because they show the need for more attention to the health risks associated with bipolar disorder.
The researchers believe that understanding why people with bipolar disorder have more health problems and risky behaviors can help in developing better support and treatment plans.
They also emphasize the importance of early intervention, especially since bipolar disorder often starts as depression. With more awareness and better care, it’s hoped that people with bipolar disorder can live healthier and longer lives.
If you care about health, please read studies that scientists find a core feature of depression and this metal in the brain strongly linked to depression.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about drug for mental health that may harm the brain, and results showing this therapy more effective than ketamine in treating severe depression.
The research findings can be found in Psychiatry Research.
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