Medical illness in patients with schizophrenia

Research into the relationship between physical illness and schizophrenia h as revealed that patients with schizophrenia may be at decreased risk for c ertain disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and allergies, but at increa sed risk for others, including substance abuse and polydipsia. Although suc h knowledge may ultimately help determine the underlying causes of schizoph renia, the principal concern of practicing clinicians should be to diagnose and treat medical comorbidity in individual patients. Nearly 50% of patien ts with schizophrenia have a comorbid medical condition, but many of these illnesses are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. A fragmented health care system, lack of access to care, patient inability to clearly appreciate or describ e a medical problem, and patient reluctance to discuss such problems all co ntribute to the lack of attention to medical problems in patients with schi zophrenia. Psychiatrists and primary care practitioners who treat patients with schizophrenia should make an effort to uncover medical illnesses by us ing a structured interview or routine physical examination whenever a patie nt is seen for care.