INT’L. J. PSYCHIATRY IN MEDICINE, Vol. 38(1) 103-112, 2008 PREVALENCE OF METABOLIC SYNDROME AMONG INPATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA OMER BOKE, MD SERVET AKER, MD GOKHAN SARISOY, MD Ondokuz Mayis University School of Medicine, Turkey ESIN BOKE SARICICEK, MD Samsun Mental Health Hospital Laboratory, Turkey AHMET RIFAT SAHIN, MD Ondokuz Mayis University School of Medicine, Turkey ABSTRACT Objective: Cardiovascular disease is one of the most prevalent factors responsible for excess mortality in schizophrenia. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with the development of coronary heart disease and dia- betes mellitus. The aim in this cross-sectional study was to assess the preval- ence of MetS in schizophrenic Turkish inpatients. Method: The study was conducted from January 2006 to June 2006, and included 231 patients with schizophrenia. All participants were enrolled from inpatients attending the Samsun Mental Health Hospital psychiatry clinic. All subjects were aged between 18 and 65 and met the DSM IV criteria for schizophrenia. MetS was taken as central obesity (defined as waist circumference: men $ 94 cm, women $ 80 cm) and meeting $ 2 of the following abnormalities described by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF): a serum triglyceride level > 150 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol < 40 mg/dL in men and < 50 mg/dL in women, blood pressure $ 130/85 mm Hg, and a fasting serum 103 Ó 2008, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc. doi:10.2190/PM.38.1.j http://baywood.com