Addressing thrombotic potential in acutely psychotic patients
Carr Smith, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine; Department of Pathology
15 March 2011
To the Editor: Masopust et al.'s recent demonstration of potentially increased risk of thrombosis in unmedicated acutely psychotic patients is both consistent with the limited literature (Akhondzadeh et al., 2007; Muller et al., 2010) and raises an important question, i.e., "What if anything should be done about the increased risk of thrombosis in acutely psychotic patients both medicated and unmedicated?" Given the current state of limited knowledge regarding whether systemic inflammation and brain inflammation in mental patients is entirely a harmful phenomenon (Wee Yong, 2010), maybe an interim middle course, e.g., administration of high-dose omega-3 fish oil as one example, could be considered as it might reduce the risk of thrombogenesis with minimal gastrointestinal risk. Several studies have suggested that fish oil might improve mood state in some mental patients. Further research in this area is needed. The authors should be commended for this important contribution.
Best Regards, Carr J. Smith, Ph.D.
Akhondsadeh S, Tabatabaee M, Amini H, Ahmadi Abhari SA, Abbasi SH, Behnam B. Celecoxib as adjunctive therapy in schizophrenia: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Schizophr Res 2007; 90(1-3): 179-85.
Masopust J, Maly R, Andrys C, Valis M, Bazant J, Hosak L. Markers of thrombogenesis are activated in unmedicated patients with acute psychosis: a matched case control study. BMC Psychiatry 2011; 11:2.
Muller N, Krause D, Dehning S, Musil R, Schennach-Wolff R, Obermeier M, Moller HJ, Klauss V, Schwarz MJ, Riedel M. Celecoxib treatment in an early stage of schizophrenia: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of celecoxib augmentation of amisulpride treatment. Schizophr Res 2010; 121(1-3): 118-24.
Wee Yong V. Inflammation in neurological disorders: a help or a hindrance? Neuroscientist 2010; 16(4):408-20.
Addressing thrombotic potential in acutely psychotic patients
15 March 2011
To the Editor: Masopust et al.'s recent demonstration of potentially increased risk of thrombosis in unmedicated acutely psychotic patients is both consistent with the limited literature (Akhondzadeh et al., 2007; Muller et al., 2010) and raises an important question, i.e., "What if anything should be done about the increased risk of thrombosis in acutely psychotic patients both medicated and unmedicated?" Given the current state of limited knowledge regarding whether systemic inflammation and brain inflammation in mental patients is entirely a harmful phenomenon (Wee Yong, 2010), maybe an interim middle course, e.g., administration of high-dose omega-3 fish oil as one example, could be considered as it might reduce the risk of thrombogenesis with minimal gastrointestinal risk. Several studies have suggested that fish oil might improve mood state in some mental patients. Further research in this area is needed. The authors should be commended for this important contribution.
Best Regards,
Carr J. Smith, Ph.D.
Akhondsadeh S, Tabatabaee M, Amini H, Ahmadi Abhari SA, Abbasi SH, Behnam B. Celecoxib as adjunctive therapy in schizophrenia: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Schizophr Res 2007; 90(1-3): 179-85.
Masopust J, Maly R, Andrys C, Valis M, Bazant J, Hosak L. Markers of thrombogenesis are activated in unmedicated patients with acute psychosis: a matched case control study. BMC Psychiatry 2011; 11:2.
Muller N, Krause D, Dehning S, Musil R, Schennach-Wolff R, Obermeier M, Moller HJ, Klauss V, Schwarz MJ, Riedel M. Celecoxib treatment in an early stage of schizophrenia: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of celecoxib augmentation of amisulpride treatment. Schizophr Res 2010; 121(1-3): 118-24.
Wee Yong V. Inflammation in neurological disorders: a help or a hindrance? Neuroscientist 2010; 16(4):408-20.
Competing interests
None