Psychiatry Investig.  2018 Mar;15(3):246-253. 10.30773/pi.2017.06.17.2.

The Impact of General Medical Conditions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

• Aguglia A
• Signorelli MS
• Albert U
• Maina G

• KMID: 2429151
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2017.06.17.2

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The co-occurrence of general medical conditions (GMCs) and major psychiatric disorders is well documented. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of GMCs in patients with a primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and, secondly, to investigate which clinical variables are associated with the presence of a GMC.
METHODS
Subjects with a primary diagnosis of OCD were included. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. GMCs were classified using the ICD-10 and grouped according to the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) in: cardiac, vascular, hematopoietic, respiratory, ear/nose/throat, upper and lower gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal, genitourinary, musculoskeletal, neurologic, endocrine/metabolic. The association between the presence of GMCs and demographic/clinical variables of OCD was investigated.
RESULTS
A total of 162 patients with OCD were included. 78 (48.1%) patients had at least one comorbid GMC. Most frequent GMCs were endocrine/metabolic diseases (25.9%), followed by upper/lower gastrointestinal (20.5%) and cardio-vascular diseases (13.6%). The presence of a GMC was significantly associated with female gender, older age, duration of untreated illness (DUI), and absence of physical activity.
CONCLUSION
Patients with OCD have high rates of comorbid GMCs. A longer DUI is associated with having at least one GMCs; this might be due to the long-lasting adoption of unhealthy lifestyles, not counterbalanced by appropriate treatment and psychoeducation.

Keyword

Obsessive-compulsive disorder; General medical condition; Cardiovascular disease; Duration of untreated illness; Medical illness

MeSH Terms

Cardiovascular Diseases
Diagnosis
Female
Humans
International Classification of Diseases
Life Style
Motor Activity
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder*
Prevalence