The association between exposome score for schizophrenia and metabolic parameters in individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls: Findings from the EUGEI study

Abstract

Introduction Exposome is all nongenetic exposures from the prenatal period to death. Exposome score for schizophrenia (ES-SCZ) is a cumulative measure of environmental liability for schizophrenia. Our previous studies showed that the ES-SCZ is associated with mental and physical health outcome. Objectives The aim of the study is to investigate the association of the ES-SCZ with metabolic parameters in individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Methods This study obtained 124 individuals with schizophrenia and 440 healthy controls from the European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions, Work Package 6 (Vulnerability and Severity) Turkey dataset. The ES-SCZ was calculated by summing log-odds weighted environmental exposures (childhood adversities, winter birth, hearing impairment and cannabis use). Linear regression analysis was used to investigate the association between ES-SCZ and metabolic parameters. After that analysis age and sex were added as covariates. Results There was an association between ES-SCZ and diastolic blood pressure (B = -2.69 [95% CI -4.74; -.65], P-value = 0.010) in schizophrenia. ES-SCZ was associated with the fasting glucose level (B = -6.23 [95% CI -11.59; -.87], P-value = 0.023); high density lipid level (B = 1.77 [95% CI .27; 3.27], P-value = 0.021) in control and these results remained significant after adjusting for age and sex. Conclusions ES-SCZ was associated with important metabolic parameters. These findings show that ES-SCZ is not only related to increasing the risk for psychosis development but may also influence comorbidities. This result is important since it may increase our knowledge of ES-SCZ and contribute to the importance and framework of its clinical implementation. Disclosure of Interest None Declared