The burden of medical comorbidities was compared between older (≥60 years) and younger patients with serious mental illness.
Patients (N = 8,083) diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder in 2001 were identified from VA facilities in the mid-Atlantic region. Medical comorbidities were identified by an ICD-9–based clinical classification algorithm.
Older, versus younger, patients were more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions, and less likely to be diagnosed with substance-use disorders or hepatic conditions.
More aggressive detection and management of general-medical comorbidities in older patients with serious mental illness is paramount
