Just like anyone in the general population, when individuals with severe mental illness try to quit smoking, they tend to gain weight. However, since this already vulnerable group tends to have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, do the benefits of quitting smoking outweigh the cardiovascular risks associated with weight gain?
Yes, at least in the first year, say researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). But if the weight gain continues, the risk goes back up.
People with serious mental illness have a much shorter life expectancy ā up to 25 years less than the general population ā primarily due to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Both obesity and smoking are at least twice as high among adults with mental illness. They also have a greater risk of developing hypertension, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol levels.
[For more of this story, written by Traci Pedersen, go to http://psychcentral.com/news/2...ally-ill/100970.html]
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