**7.3 Physical activity**

Patients who developed psychosis are more likely to be physically inactive (OR=3.3,95% CI 1.4-7.9) and to have poor cardio respiratory fitness (OR=2.2, 95% CI 0.6-7.8) compared with those who did not develop psychosis (Koivukangas et al, 2010). Modern guidelines on managing the physical health risks associated with schizophrenia include a recommendation about the importance of physical activity levels and fitness. This recommendation includes:


Some studies showed that physical activity, with and without diet, resulted in modest weight loss, reduction of blood pressure and decreases in fasting plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin (Vancampfort et al, 2009).

Dyslipidemia and Mental Illness 363

significant physical morbidity, working very closely with general practitioners and with other specialists when appropriate. We have to weight up the risk of metabolic disturbance and its potential impact on future cardiovascular risk when selecting an antipsychotic drug. We have to take a careful medical history and be prepared to monitor weight and other metabolic risk, such as glucose and lipid profile. The lipid area is significantly understudied in patients taking antipsychotic medications. Lipids may be more important than diabetes because dyslipidemia appears to occur at a higher prevalence in this patient population. Lipid levels are a significant problem because physicians are seeing hypertriglyceridemia. Knowing what we know about what causes and contributes to cardiovascular disease, we are obliged to play detective and figure out why psychiatric patients are dying sooner and

The big challenge for all is to ensure that the physical health of patients with mental illness is given the priority it deserves, helping them to face their future with the lowest possible

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**9. References** 
