Antidepressants Linked To Heart Attack Risk

Middle-age men who use antidepressants are more likely to have a narrowing of blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, than those who do not use the medications, according to a study presented on Saturday.

A study of twins found evidence of atherosclerosis, as measured by the interior thickness of the carotid artery, regardless of the type of antidepressant taken.

Antidepressant use was found to cause a 37 micron increase in carotid artery thickness, or roughly 5 percent, according to the study of more than 500 male twins with a mean age of 55 which was presented at the American Cardiology scientific meeting in New Orleans.

In 59 sets of twins in which one brother was taking an antidepressant and the other was not, the brother taking the medication had on average a 41 micron thicker inner lining of the artery, the research found.

As each year of life has been associated with a 10 micron increase in carotid artery thickening, the brother taking the antidepressant had arteries that were essentially four years older than those of his non-medicated twin.

Previous studies have linked depression to a heightened risk of heart disease, but the condition was not deemed a significant predictor of artery thickening in the study.

"Because we didn't see an association between depression itself and a thickening of the carotid artery, it strengthens the argument that it is more likely the antidepressants than the actual depression that could be behind the association," said Dr. Amit Shah, cardiology fellow at Emory University in Atlanta, who presented the data.

"This study reminds us that medicines often have side effects we can't feel, and we should always take that into account. These drugs provide a lot of benefit, but should be considered on a case-by-case basis," Shah said.

Shah hypothesized that the raising of levels of certain brain chemicals, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, through antidepressant use may cause blood vessels to constrict, leading to decreases in blood flow to organs and higher blood pressure -- a risk factor for atherosclerosis.

"Because this was a twin study, we had a very well controlled analysis comparing brothers who are anywhere from 50 to 100 percent genetically similar and were raised in the same household," Shah said.

(Editing by Vicki Allen)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[senorlou]

04:35 PM on 05/09/2011

I'm sure the weight gain that often comes along with taking these medications doesn't help things.

[DrDave70]

01:08 PM on 04/25/2011

As one researcher put it, The success of modern antidepressants represents the triumph of marketing over science.

"Antidepressants are supposed to be the magic bullet for curing depression. But are they? I used to think so. As a clinical psychologist, I used to refer depressed clients to psychiatric colleagues to have them prescribed. But over the past decade, researchers have uncovered mounting evidence that they are not. It seems that we have been misled. Depression is not a brain disease, and chemicals don't cure it." - from HuffPo article by Irving Kirsch.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/irving-kirsch-phd/antidepressants-the-emper_b_442205.html
http://www.amazon.com/Emperors-New-Drugs-Exploding-Antidepressant/dp/046502016X

[Scott Mendelson, M.D.]

09:05 AM on 04/22/2011

This report is sensational and dramatic but amazingly disingenuous. Although this new data suggesting slightly higher rate of arterial plaque deposition, a risk for heart attack, may be accurate, it has been known for years that the medications DON'T increase the risk for actual heart attack! Why wasn't this fact added to the article?

[jacquelinenh]

09:55 PM on 04/06/2011

Then don't take them! Especially if you have mild depression, there are so many natural alternatives... http://www.womentowomen.com/depressionanxietyandmood/antidepressants.aspx

[eyelashviper]

01:41 PM on 05/03/2011

Thanks for the link. The Women to Women site is really wonderful, as is the clinic in Maine,
Mild or situational depression can be helped with natural methods, exercise, etc., but clinical depression can be life long and life threatening, so stronger methods are sometimes crucial.
A good physician is essential in helping people find the right anti-depression medication, as they differ from person to person, and if not carefully supervised, can have very negative effects.
Depression touches many people, and needs to be taken seriously at all times....advice and pep talks do not help someone who is really depressed, and only can make them feel more marginalized and misunderstood.

[thebigbike]

01:06 PM on 04/05/2011

antidepressants saved my life. period. leave them alone, you medical talibanists!

[Jokergirl]

05:12 AM on 04/07/2011

I totally agree with you, if you have mild depression natural stuff helps but a CHEMICAL IMBALANCE (major depression disorder, clinical depression, bi- polar disorder) all the natural stuff barely makes a dent against low dopamine and serotonin levels and misfiring synapses. The trick is finding the right medicine though and that sadly can take years. It took me over 10 years of trial and error to find what's worked for me for the past four years.

[Jack Hope]

04:36 PM on 04/16/2011

I completely agree with you. The correct Anti-Depressant has literally saved my life.

[JOHNSPEAKS]

09:35 AM on 04/05/2011

Perhaps somebody can explan to me -Why- it is OK for the Medical community to give these antipsychotic drugs with horrendous side effects which are shown to be almost 100% negative in supposedly helping people with -Depression-? This above study shows the harm that these drugs can do to the bodies of mentally ill clients? How about the mental side effects of these drugs and all the -Suicides- (Violent & Passive) due to the pain and suffering? The weight of all the negative effects of these drugs is probably a thousand to one positive effect? Why is the medical community so willing to experiment on human beings with mental illness? Since I worked for years in a top mental health rehabilitation facility (FH) in northern new jersey and interacted with thousands of mental health clients in the area on my own time? The lack of humanity by mental health professionals because of -Bureaucracy- and greed has meant that the mental health clients have become nothing more then -Lab Rats- and they will crush anybody that tries to bring -Kindness- or -Humanity- to these mentally ill human beings? -Liberals- reading this post are all talk and no action because I have documented in detail years of observations of humans beings with mental illness and the homeless and addiction etc. being used like -Lab Rats- by the medical community? Almost six months of -Posting- these human rights violations have almost -NO- response from the -Liberals- who are all talk and no action?

[Even17]

10:18 AM on 04/06/2011

those drugs with horrendous side effects that are almost 100% negative, had the horrendous effect of stabilizing my mood swings, helping me function, and saving my life, and continues to ona daily basis.
i cannot do this on my own, as much as i would love to. i love my meds.

[JOHNSPEAKS]

08:44 AM on 04/07/2011

Don't be so sure that -You- can't do it on your own, since I have spent over two years and thousands of dollars of my own money trying to interest all segements of the mental health industry in a proven way to -Help- human beings with mental illness? The interest and or response of the mental health industry has been none existant and the reasons for this might be many things or they have a perfect bureaucratic -Ponzi Scheme- that they are unwilling to give up? Without sounding too absurd I have started to devise a way that mental health clients and their caregivers might be able to fight the severity of mental illness and might actually stop a mental disorder from continuing and or actually happening in families with mental illness? Since I am a non professional who desperately tried to get mental health professionals interested in my time tested documented proven methods of recovery that we (Support Staff) had used for years at one of the top mental health rehabilitation facilities in northern new jersey? Since I am going too have to prove my words with no outside support and I am entering a mine field of danger for everybody concerned? Please follow my progress on -Google- johnspeaks (one word) and good luck with your treatment plan that seems to be working for -You-?

[Rosewren]

03:26 PM on 04/22/2011

Mahy times the danger presented to oneself by not taking the medicine is far worse than the medicine itself.