General medical burden in bipolar disorder: findings from the LiTMUS comparative effectiveness trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study examined general medical illnesses and their association with clinical features of bipolar disorder.

Method

Data were cross-sectional and derived from the Lithium Treatment - Moderate Dose Use Study (LiTMUS), which randomized symptomatic adults (n = 264 with available medical comorbidity scores) with bipolar disorder to moderate doses of lithium plus optimized treatment (OPT) or to OPT alone. Clinically significant high and low medical comorbidity burden were defined as a Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) score ≥4 and <4 respectively.

Results

The baseline prevalence of significant medical comorbidity was 53% (n = 139). Patients with high medical burden were more likely to present in a major depressive episode (P = .04), meet criteria for obse

SUBMITTER: Kemp DE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3789858 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature