ABSTRACT
The Family Doctor and his or her team should approach the management of the physical health of people with a severe mental illness (SMI) in the same way as for any other long-term condition. People with SMI access health care services less than others, and therefore do not take up offers of diabetes prevention as frequently as others. Diabetes is itself a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and the complications of diabetes such as renal failure and erectile dysfunction are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Smoking will exacerbate the management of diabetes, the management of cardiovascular disease, and increase the risk of thrombosis–all of which are more common in people with SMI. People with a SMI are more likely than the general population to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Smoking will exacerbate the effects of cardiovascular disease, the management of diabetes and the effects of thrombosis that is a side effect of anti-psychotic medication.
