Electrocardiogram Characteristics and Their Association with Psychotropic Drugs among Patients with Schizophrenia

Abstract

Background: There are limited data on electrocardiogram (ECG) characteristics and their association with psychotropic drugs in schizophrenia. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, we included Danish primary care patients with first-time digital ECGs from 2001 to 2015. Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia before ECG recording were matched 1:5 on age, sex, and ECG recording year to controls without psychiatric disease. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: We included 4486 patients with schizophrenia matched with 22 430 controls (median age, 47 years; male, 55%). Between groups, the prevalence of abnormal ECGs was similar (54%, P =. 536), but patients with schizophrenia demonstrated higher median heart rate (79 vs 69 beats per minute, P