US Pharm. 2016;41(4):12.
Nottingham, UK—According to a study from the University of Nottingham, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular conditions. The researchers examined associations between different antidepressants and the rates of three cardiovascular outcomes (arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and stroke or transient ischemic attack) in people with depression. Medical records of 238,963 patients aged 20 to 64 years with a diagnosis of depression made between 2000 and 2011 were analyzed using the UK QResearch primary care database. The study found no evidence that SSRIs were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes, and, in fact, found some indication of a reduced risk of myocardial infarction, particularly with fluoxetine.
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