Individuals with bipolar disorder, a severe mental illness characterized by alternating manic and depressed moods, face a higher risk of premature death compared to smoking, according to research conducted by the University of Michigan. The study analyzed the mortality risk among people with bipolar disorder who smoked and those who never smoked.
Results, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, revealed that individuals with bipolar disorder were four to six times more likely to die prematurely than those without the condition. In contrast, smokers were about twice as likely to die prematurely, regardless of whether they had bipolar disorder.
The stark contrast in mortality rates, coupled with the underlying health and lifestyle differences contributing to it, underscores the need for increased efforts to prevent early deaths, the researchers emphasized.
Lead author Anastasia Yocum stated, "Bipolar disorder has long been seen as a risk factor for mortality, but always through a lens of other common causes of death. We wanted to look at it by itself in comparison with conditions and lifestyle behaviors that are also linked to higher rates of premature death."
The study began by examining deaths and associated factors among 1,128 individuals with and without bipolar disorder. Of the 56 deaths since the study's inception in 2006, all but two were from the group with bipolar disorder. Additional analysis of anonymous patient records from over 18,000 people reaffirmed that individuals with bipolar disorder faced four times the risk of premature death compared to those without the disorder.
Furthermore, records from more than 10,700 individuals with bipolar disorder and a comparison group of over 7,800 people without any psychiatric disorder indicated that high blood pressure was the only factor associated with a higher likelihood of dying during the study period. Hypertension increased the risk fivefold, surpassing the risk posed by smoking, which was twice as likely to result in premature death.
Professor McInnis, a researcher involved in the study, expressed surprise at the findings and hopes they will encourage more action within the medical and public health communities to address the multifaceted factors contributing to the heightened risk of premature death in individuals with bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Disorder