Study: Common Antidepressants Do Not Increase Cardiac Risk

The commonly prescribed antidepressants selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are not linked to increased cardiovascular risk, according to a recent study.

While previous research has shown that depression increases the risk of cardiovascular events, the association between the use of antidepressants and myocardial infarction, stroke or transient ischaemic attack, or arrhythmia are less well understood.
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To assess this potential association, researchers conducted a cohort study of 238,963 patients aged 20 to 64 years old diagnosed with depression between January 2000 and July 2011.

Overall, 772 cases of myocardial infarction, 1106 of stroke or transient ischaemic attack, and 1452 of arrhythmia were reported. Within the first year of follow-up, those patients taking SSRIs had significantly lower risk of myocardial infarction than those not taking antidepressants. No significant associations were observed between the use of SSRIs and myocardial infarction or stroke, although within the first 28 days of follow-up treatment with tricyclic and other related antidepressants was associated with significant increases in the risk of arrhythmia.

“These findings are reassuring in light of recent safety concerns about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,” they concluded.

“The potential cardioprotective effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, particularly fluoxetine, warrant further investigation.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Coupland C, Hill T, Morriss R, et al. Antidepressant use and risk of cardiovascular outcomes in people aged 20 to 64: cohort study using primary care database. BMJ. 2016;352:i1350.