A recent study revealed that having schizophrenia increases the risk of death by about 15 years in patients compared to healthy subjects.
According to the results of the research published in the journal (Molecular Psychology), schizophrenia was associated with an increased risk of premature death as a result of suicide or poor physical health, which may be due to advanced brain aging.
The study was conducted on more than 5,000 people, 2,803 patients with schizophrenia and 2,598 healthy subjects, ranging in age from 18 to 73 years.
Previous studies attributed the high prevalence of the disease, the occurrence of long-term cognitive decline, and the increase in the number of deaths in patients with schizophrenia, to the fact that the biological age of the brain exceeded its chronological age.
Studies have revealed that this disparity, called the brain life expectancy difference, is higher in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy subjects.
Studies have also shown that the gap between the biological age and the chronological age of the brain widens mainly during the first years after the onset of the disease.
This is because patients with schizophrenia have PAD, and these findings are consistent with previous studies showing an increase in brain PAD in patients with schizophrenia and psychosis.
The study concluded that predicting brain age and PAD could be a factor in prevention and early intervention strategies for the disease.
The lack of regular follow-up with a psychiatrist is one of the most prominent problems for patients with schizophrenia, and continuous follow-up and regularity in treatments can help reduce these risks.
Brain Aging in People With Schizophrenia
Advanced brain aging may explain why, on average, people with schizophrenia have a significantly reduced life span.#schizophrenia #psychology #neuroscience #sciencehttps://t.co/xGDgFzlLdQ
— Neuroscience News (@NeuroscienceNew) January 9, 2023