People With Serious Mental Illness Have Increased Heart Disease Risk

Adults ages 18 to 75 with serious mental illness (SMI) have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease over 10 years compared to those without SMI, at 9.4% and 8.0% respectively. Over 30 years, about 25% of those with SMI and 11% of those without SMI were in the highest-risk group for developing cardiovascular disease.

Among those with SMI, those who smoked or who were overweight or obese had the highest risk of developing cardiovascular disease. About 36% of those with SMI were current smokers, compared to 12% of those without SMI. About 50% of those with . . .