A recent study has revealed some concerning news for people living with bipolar disorder.
Researchers from the University of Michigan have found that having bipolar disorder can significantly increase the risk of dying early – by four to six times.
This finding, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, highlights the need for more preventive measures for people with this condition.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition known for its extreme mood swings. People with this disorder experience periods of emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression).
The study shows that these mood swings might be linked to a higher chance of dying sooner than expected.
In contrast, the study also looked at people who smoked. They found that smokers were about twice as likely to die early compared to non-smokers, whether or not they had bipolar disorder. This comparison shows just how serious the risk is for people with bipolar disorder.
The University of Michigan team, who have been conducting one of the world’s largest long-term studies on bipolar disorder, analyzed data from over a thousand people who volunteered for their research.
Out of 56 deaths recorded since the study started in 2006, 54 were people who had bipolar disorder.
Their analysis revealed that people with bipolar disorder were six times more likely to die in a 10-year period compared to people without the disorder.
This was a significant finding, especially when compared to the risks associated with smoking or being over 60 years old.
To confirm their findings, the researchers looked at patient records from Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan’s academic medical center.
They studied records of more than 18,000 patients and found similar results: people with bipolar disorder were four times more likely to die during the study period than those without the disorder.
Interestingly, the only factor that posed an even higher risk of death in this study was high blood pressure.
People with high blood pressure were five times more likely to die than those with normal blood pressure, regardless of whether they had bipolar disorder or not.
Anastasia Yocum, the lead author of the study, points out that bipolar disorder has always been seen as a risk factor for early death. However, this study shows how significant that risk is when compared to other factors like smoking.
The team noticed that people with bipolar disorder were also more likely to smoke, which aligns with previous research. Nearly half of the patients with bipolar disorder had a history of smoking.
The researchers also found that among people with bipolar disorder, those who smoked and had higher scores on a depression survey were twice as likely to die compared to those who didn’t smoke or had lower depression scores.
Interestingly, the study didn’t find any link between the risk of death and how long participants had been taking medications for mental health symptoms.
This suggests that the risk of early death is not directly related to the treatment of bipolar disorder but rather to the condition itself and its associated lifestyle and health factors.
Looking ahead, both Yocum and McInnis, the study’s director, believe these findings could help improve the health and quality of life for people with bipolar disorder.
They suggest that more efforts should be made to understand why people with bipolar disorder tend to have more illnesses and unhealthy behaviors. This understanding could lead to better support and care for these individuals.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about 6 foods you can eat to improve mental health, and B vitamins could help prevent depression and anxiety.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and results showing Omega-3 fats may help reduce depression.
The research findings can be found in the journal Psychiatry Research.
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