Can we predict cardiorespiratory fitness from body composition and core symptoms in people with schizophrenia?

Research Objectives: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can be directly measured and assessed by the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) or estimated from different field tests such as the Modified Shuttle Walking Test (MSWT). The CRF in population with schizophrenia (SP) may be altered due to sex, age, body composition, and core symptoms variables. The objective was to analyze the predictive value of body composition and core symptoms in SP for CRF.

Design: Prospective, randomized, single-blinded (by psychiatrists to the patient group) comparison of SP patients.

Setting: Hospital and clinic records. A psychiatric hospital and a mental health network.

Participants: Participants (N = 122, 41.7 ± 10.3 yr old) adults with SP.

Interventions: Baseline data pre-intervention.

Main Outcome Measures: Body composition (body mass index and fat percentage), CRF (direct by cardiopulmonary exercise test with ramp protocol on a bicycle ergometer, and the MSWT), and positive and negative symptoms of the disease (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, PANSS; and "The Brief Negative Symptom Scale", BNSS). Stepwise Multiple Regression analyses were performed to determine which variables predict CRF scores.

Results: Lower negative symptoms (P < 0.001) and positive PANSS (P=0.035) predicted peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak) (L·min−1) (R2=28.3%). Lower negative symptoms (P < 0.001), positive PANSS (P=0.006), and fat body mass (P < 0.001) explained V̇O2peak (mL·kg−1·min−1) (R2=46.5%). MSWT was predicted (R2=58.9%) by lower negative symptoms (P=0.001), body mass (P < 0.001), and total PANSS (P=0.004).

Conclusions: In people with SP significantly higher CRF was detected in those with lower negative and positive symptoms, as well as lower body mass. Exercise interventions for improving CRF should be promoted in this population for better control of core symptoms.

Author(s) Disclosures: Absence of conflicts of interest