Article May 1, 1998

The Use of Antidepressant Drugs in Patients With Heart Disease

Alexander H. Glassman, M.D.; Ana I. Rodriguez, M.D.; Peter A. Shapiro, M.D.

J Clin Psychiatry 1998;59(suppl 10):16-21

Article Abstract

Both depression and cardiovascular disease are common as people age and are, therefore, likely tocoexist. It has become evident recently that the rate of this comorbidity exceeds substantially what isexpected by chance. A major problem arises in that there is increasing evidence that the tricyclic antidepressants(TCAs) carry more risk than originally thought in patients with ischemic heart disease.This risk increases the importance of understanding both the safety and efficacy of the serotonin selectivereuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in this population. Three recent studies on safety data in patientswith overt heart disease are now available: although the total of 94 patients limits the ability to makegeneralizations, the data that are available give little evidence of harm and even suggest that SSRIsmay have beneficial effects in ischemic heart disease.

Continue Reading...

Did you know members enjoy unlimited free PDF downloads as part of their subscription? Subscribe today for instant access to this article and our entire library in your preferred format. Alternatively, you can purchase the PDF of this article individually.

Subscribe Now

Already a member? Login

Purchase PDF for $

Members enjoy free PDF downloads on all articles. Join today