Antidepressants keep killing women, thereby 'curing' their depression

Evidence continues to mount that even supposedly "safer" antidepressants increase women's risk of stroke and death.

One of the reasons that doctors prefer selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants to the older tricyclics is that the latter are known to have negative effects on heart function (and depression itself is already a risk factor for cardiovascular disease). Over the past five years, evidence has started to emerge that SSRIs may also increase cardiovascular risk, particularly among older women.

More strokes, deaths among women

Because older women are also at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in December 2009 examined whether SSRIs increased this risk among women participating in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study.

The research was conducted by a team of scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of California, San Diego, the University of Washington, the University of Hawaii, the University of Iowa, the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and Emory University.

The landmark WHI study tracked more than 160,000 postmenopausal women for as much as 15 years, collecting data on disease, mortality and lifestyle factors that might affect cardiovascular disease, cancer or osteoporosis.

The 2009 analysis focused on the 136,000 participants who were not taking any antidepressant at the study's start. By three years into the study, 5,500 of the participants were taking an antidepressant; these women were compared with participants who never started taking antidepressants.

The researchers found that, after an average six-year followup, women who took SSRIs were significantly more likely to suffer a hemorrhagic stroke or die from any cause than women not taking antidepressants.

The study did not find any relationship between SSRIs and heart disease, and the overall risk of stroke and death was still small even among women taking antidepressants. Nevertheless, doctors need to be made aware of the risk, the researchers said.

"Older women taking antidepressants can talk with their physicians about their cardiovascular risk, work on modifying other risk factors, and discuss the risks and benefits of various treatment options," lead author Jordan W. Smoller said.