Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a severe and potentially irreversible movement, and previous studies have suggested increased mortality among patients with TD, but most of these studies are limited by small sample sizes and short periods of follow-up. This study examined the mortality rate of a cohort of 608 Asian patients with schizophrenia during a 6-year period and used survival analyses on time from case ascertainment to outcome (death). Data on the survival status were collected and compared between those with and without TD, and cross-tabulation was performed to show the correlation between survival and mortality rates among patients with and without TD.
Seventy-two patients died, 39 (54.2%) of whom had TD previously. Of the 536 surviving cases, 239 (44.6%) have TD. The mortality rates between those with TD and those without TD were statistically significant (hazard ratio, 2.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.58-4.33; P = 0.0006).
The mortality rate was dependent on age; nevertheless, the adverse effect of TD on survival rate, although reduced, remains after controlling for age (hazard ratio, 1.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-3.20; P = 0.017). Our finding showed a robust association with increased mortality rate and TD, but we failed to find any significant association with any specific cause of death and TD.