Bipolar disorder tied to greater early death risk than smoking

A new, large study shows having bipolar disorder is associated with a four- to six-fold risk of dying prematurely, suggesting more preventive efforts are needed.

By contrast, people who had ever smoked were about twice as likely to die prematurely than those who had never smoked—whether or not they had bipolar disorder.

A team from the University of Michigan, home to one of the world’s largest long-term studies of people with bipolar disorder, reports their findings in the journal Psychiatry Research.

The stark difference in mortality, and the differences in health and lifestyle that likely contributed to it, should prompt more efforts at preventing early deaths, say the researchers.

“Bipolar disorder has long been seen as a risk factor...

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