People with severe mental illness (SMI), defined here as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression, have a life expectancy that is reduced by 10–20 years compared with the general population. This reduced life expectancy is largely due to natural causes, especially CVD, for which diabetes is a major risk factor.
Heart failure (HF) and type 2 diabetes are two highly intertwined diseases that exist in a vicious circle; people with type 2 diabetes are approximately two times more likely to develop HF than those without. Furthermore, 30–40% of people with HF suffer from type 2 diabetes or show signs of impaired glucose tolerance, with the rate increasing to up to 50% in patients hospitalised for HF