Validation and Impact of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Severe Mental Illness - the Heart in Mind Project

BACKGROUND Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a strong independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in the general population. However, CRF is rarely considered or measured in psychiatric populations, despite people with severe mental illness (SMI) is a high-risk population of CVD and may suffer from premature death of up to 15-20 years. AIM The aim of this project is to evaluate the feasibility, validity, and clinical relevance of CRF assessment in patients with SMI. POPULATION 50 people with severe mental illness in treatment with antipsychotic medications and 25 healthy controls without present or previous mental illness matched for sex, age, and BMI will be included in the study. METHODS This is a validation study with a cross-sectional design. The study includes a \~3 hour baseline visit and 14 days of physical activity monitoring. Baseline Visit (D0) Physical health, body composition, vital signs, and non-exercise VO2max estimation by seismocardiography (SCG) will be carried out initially. Afterwards, psychopathology, substance use, and cognition will be assessed during an interview. Questionnaires regarding physical activity, fitness, quality of life, body image and self-esteem, and sleep will be completed by the participants. Essential for the baseline visit, two fitness tests will be conducted. First, the revised Ekblom-Bak submaximal cycle-ergometer fitness test followed by a state-of-the-art graded cardiopulmonary exercise test to exhaustion. During both tests, oxygen uptake will be assessed with gas-exchange analysis equipment. After the baseline visit, participants will wear a physical activity sensor (SENS Motion(R)) for two weeks, and finish participation in the study with completion of questionnaires.