MONDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- A popular class of medications used to treat depression in older men and women has been linked to bone density loss that can result in hip fractures and falls, according to two studies published in the June 25 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Susan Diem, M.D., of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and colleagues sampled the bone mineral density of 2,722 women with an average age of 78.5 of which 198 used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) for depression. The investigators found an average bone mineral density decrease of 0.82 percent in hip bones of women taking SSRIs, nearly double the 0.47 percent bone loss for those taking tricyclic antidepressants or no medication.
In similar research by Elizabeth Haney, M.D., of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Ore., and colleagues, bone density was measured in 5,995 men aged 65 and older, including 160 who used SSRIs, 99 who took tricyclic and 52 who used trazodone antidepressants. The researchers found hip and lumbar spine bone mineral density to be 3.9 percent and 5.9 percent lower, respectively, for SSRI users than for the rest of the cohort group.
An accompanying editorial by Kenneth Saag, M.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, notes that the two studies strengthen previous research pointing to a causal relationship between SSRI use and bone health that should signal caution to physicians prescribing antidepressants. "Analogous to the necessity for using glucocorticoids in persons with certain serious inflammatory disorders, those who truly need SSRIs should continue to receive them despite potential bone concerns," according to the editorial.
The authors disclose that they have received research support from several pharmaceutical companies.
Abstract - Diem
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Abstract - Haney
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial
