In the News
Bipolar Disorder and Cardiovascular Disease Risk
The relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and bipolar disorder has been an area of study for Dr. Amy Kilbourne. Her recent publication in Psychosomatics finds that compared to those with schizophrenia, patients with bipolar disorder were 19% more likely to have diabetes, 44% more likely to have coronary artery disease, and 18% more likely to have dyslipidemia, after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors. Despite the substantial prevalence of CVD risk factors, only half of patients with bipolar disorder received adequate quality of care for CVD risk factors monitoring (e.g., lipid and glucose tolerance monitoring), based on recent findings reported in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Subsequently, Dr. Kilbourne has implemented a bipolar chronic care model (“BCM”) to improve quality and outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder who are at risk for CVD, based on a combination of behavioral change, medical care management, and guideline implementation related to CVD risk. Preliminary results presented at the 2007 World Psychiatric Association Conference indicate that patients randomized to the BCM compared to usual care had improved physical health-related quality of life. Dr. Kilbourne is now implementing the BCM through two larger randomized controlled trials within the VA and community-based settings.
Therapeutic drug and cardiovascular disease risk monitoring in
patients with bipolar disorder [PDF]
