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Article: Many bipolar patients are also ailing and obese.(Mental Health)
- Article from:
- Family Practice News
- Article date:
- October 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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PITTSBURGH -- Patients with bipolar disorder have an unexpectedly high prevalence of medical comorbidities, based on findings from a study of 175 patients.
These 175 patients, with an average age of 35, had a high prevalence of gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, genitourinary, and other medical comorbidities, Ellen Frank, Ph.D., said at the Sixth International Conference on Bipolar Disorder.
The rates were "very high for such a young population. It stunned us," said Dr. Frank, professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, which sponsored the conference.
If physicians focus only on the psychi atric symptoms of patients ...