Researchers of a study analyzed comorbidities and outcomes in psychiatric inpatients with tardive dyskinesia (TD). The study used a case-control design with data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, involving 77,022 adult inpatient admissions for mood disorders and schizophrenia. TD was found to be more common in older adults (50-64 years) and occurred in similar proportions among men and women. Patients with TD had a higher likelihood of cardio-metabolic comorbidities, including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, compared with those without TD.

The researchers concluded that psychiatric inpatients with TD tend to have more severe illness, with those having schizophrenia and bipolar disorders being at the highest risk, and the presence of TD is associated with poorer hospital outcomes, including longer stays and higher costs for acute inpatient care.

Reference: Patel RS, Mansuri Z, Chopra A. Analysis of risk factors and outcomes in psychiatric inpatients with tardive dyskinesia: A nationwide case-control study. Heliyon. 2019;5(5):e01745. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01745.