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People with obsessive-compulsive disorder face a much higher risk of death from natural and unnatural causes, according to a shocking new study published in Sweden.
Gerenme
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder face a much higher risk of death from natural and unnatural causes. Shocking new research From Sweden.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Affects 2% to 3% of Americanscharacterized by repeated thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions), such as excessive hand washing or placing objects accurately.
This new study is reported to be the largest study of mortality in OCD patients.
Researchers identified 61,378 Swedes with the condition and matched them by gender, year of birth, and place of residence to 613,780 people without OCD.
They also studied 34,085 people with OCD and 47,874 of their siblings without OCD.
These groups were monitored for an average of eight years, from January 1973 to December 2020.
During the study period, 4,787 people with OCD and 30,619 people without OCD died.
After adjusting for factors such as year of birth, gender, county, immigration status, education, and household income, the scientists determined that OCD patients had an 82% increased risk of death.
Their findings were announced Wednesday. Published in BMJ Journal.
Patients with OCD have a 31% increased risk of dying from natural causes and a threefold increased risk of dying from unnatural causes.
Causes of natural death due to increased risk include:
- Respiratory diseases (73%)
- Mental and behavioral disorders (58%)
- Diseases of the reproductive and urinary systems (55%)
- Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases (47%)
- Cardiovascular disease (33%)
- Nervous system diseases (21%)
- Digestive system diseases (20%)
However, OCD patients had a 10% reduced risk of death from tumors.
Among unnatural causes, researchers identified a nearly five-fold increase in the risk of suicide and a 92% increase in the risk of accidents.
The researchers noted that women with OCD have a higher relative risk of dying from unnatural causes than men with OCD, and that OCD is slightly more common in women than men.
The exact cause of OCD is unknownbut genetics and environmental factors such as pregnancy complications and childhood trauma are being studied.
Psychotherapy and antidepressants are often used to treat this condition.
“Better surveillance, prevention, and early intervention strategies need to be implemented to reduce the risk of fatal outcomes in patients with OCD,” the researchers said in their findings.
They noted some limitations to their study.
The patient data used in the study included only diagnoses made in professional care and, as a result, may have included people suffering from more severe OCD.
The scientists are also unsure whether their findings apply to people outside Sweden, who have different health systems and practices.
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