| 1 | Schizophr. Res. 2004 Jan 66: 41-9 |
|---|---|
| PMID | 14693351 |
| Title | Gender and the use of neuroleptics in schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | The oestrogen hypothesis proposes that the lower need for neuroleptic drugs in female schizophrenia patients is caused by the antidopaminergic effect of oestrogens, and that when oestrogen production decreases at menopause, the need for neuroleptic drugs increases in female schizophrenia patients. The oestrogen hypothesis was tested in a sample of 4338 schizophrenia patients (DSM III R), who were discharged from hospital and followed up for 3 years. Prescribed daily doses of neuroleptics (DDN) were recorded and converted to chlorpromazine equivalents. Males had higher DDN than females. When the age at first admission (AFA) was controlled, DDNs were higher in males than in females in all age groups. In addition to AFA, DDNs were associated with duration of illness (DUI), education, smoking and clinical status as well as with concurrently prescribed antidepressants, anti-manics, sedatives and hypnotics, but these factors did not explain the gender differences in DDN. The results did not support the original oestrogen hypothesis. It is proposed that testosterone secretion may explain why male schizophrenia patients are prescribed higher DDNs than female patients. Ageing processes in the central nervous system (CNS) may explain why DDNs decrease after middle age in both genders. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia |
| 2 | Eur. Psychiatry 2006 Jun 21: 219-23 |
| PMID | 16360309 |
| Title | Cigarette smoking in long-term schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | Cigarette smoking is a great health problem and prevalent among subjects with schizophrenia. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence and associations of cigarette smoking in patients with long-term schizophrenia. Seven hundred and sixty schizophrenia patients were interviewed and their cigarette smoking was recorded. Smoking was more prevalent men than in women patients. In logistic regression analysis, male gender, duration of illness (DUI) from 10 to 19 years, being divorced or separated, lower education and high daily doses of neuroleptics (DDN) associated significantly with regular smoking. Heavy smoking associated, in men, with hospital treatment. In schizophrenia patients, smoking is associated with long DUI, high DDN and institutional care. Interventions for cessation and/or reduction of cigarette smoking should be a part of the treatment for patients with schizophrenia. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia |