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Patients with schizophrenia often have poor health and unhealthy life styles and consequently are at risk for common physical illnesses and increased mortality. In fact, life expectancy for patients with schizophrenia is 57 years for men and 65 years for women, 20% shorter than that for the general population.50,51 While factors contributing to this lower life expectancy for schizophrenia patients include markedly increased risks for suicide as well as infectious and respiratory diseases, cardiovascular mortality is the major contributor to excess mortality in schizophrenia.52‘ ‹’ ‹