Bristol: A new study has found that long-term use of antidepressants can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. But experts have cautioned patients not to give up on the medication.
Researchers at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom have found a link between taking antidepressants over 10 years and increased cardiovascular disease, death from heart disease and premature death from any cause.
Experts studied 12 antidepressant medications in the study. These medications included the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) citalopram, sertraline, fluoxetine and paroxetine.
Among these medications, the most commonly prescribed (about 80 percent) were SSRIs. People taking antidepressants were followed for 10 years.
The results showed that people who took SSRIs were 34 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, double the risk of dying from heart disease, and 73 percent more likely to die prematurely from any cause. Had increased to a hundred.
All risks were almost doubled with the use of other antidepressants.
The researchers said they cannot say for sure that depression itself is not the cause of the increased risk of cardiovascular problems. Other experts agree that people should not stop using a drug because they are worried about the results of the research.
The research, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry Open, included data on 220,121 people. Data on people between 40 and 69 years of age were taken from the UK Biobank.
