Study Shows Small Risk of Stroke and Death From All Causes

By Salynn Boyles Dec. 14, 2009

Older women who take antidepressants may have a slightly higher risk for stroke
and death.

In a new finding from the large study known as the Women's Health Initiative
(WHI), postmenopausal women who took tricyclic or selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants had a small increased risk of dying from all
causes, compared to women who did not take antidepressants.

SSRI users also had a greater risk for strokes, especially strokes caused by
bleeding, but their overall risk was still quite small.

It was not clear if the increase was caused by the medications or by the
depression itself.

"Depression is an often serious and debilitating illness, with its own heart
risks including heart disease and death," study researcher Jordan W. Smoller,
MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital tells WebMD. "It is difficult to
confidently tease apart the contribution of depression and the drugs used to
treat it."

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which began in 1991, followed more than
160,000 postmenopausal women in the U.S. for up to 15 years. The newly
published analysis included more than 136,000 WHI participants who were not
taking antidepressants at enrollment.

Antidepressants and Stroke

At their first follow-up visit, either one or three years after enrolling in
the study, 5,500 women reported taking either tricyclic or SSRI
antidepressants.

Compared to women who did not take antidepressants, women who did had no
greater risk for heart disease around six years later. But SSRI use was
associated with a 32% greater risk of dying from all causes in one analysis and
a 45% increased risk for stroke.

Smoller points out that the overall increase in stroke risk among SSRI users
was small -- less than 2% per year.

"The vast majority of women taking antidepressants did not have one of these
bad outcomes," he says.

He adds that more research is needed to fully understand the impact, if any, of
different classes of antidepressants on cardiovascular risk.

It is also not clear if a similar association would be seen in men and younger
women.

Full story at
http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20091214/antidepressants-may-raise-stroke-risk

myhome@mts.net wrote:
> Study Shows Small Risk of Stroke and Death From All Causes
>
> By Salynn Boyles Dec. 14, 2009
>
> Older women who take antidepressants may have a slightly higher risk for stroke
> and death.
>
> In a new finding from the large study known as the Women's Health Initiative
> (WHI), postmenopausal women who took tricyclic or selective serotonin reuptake
> inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants had a small increased risk of dying from all
> causes, compared to women who did not take antidepressants.
>
> SSRI users also had a greater risk for strokes, especially strokes caused by
> bleeding, but their overall risk was still quite small.
>
> It was not clear if the increase was caused by the medications or by the
> depression itself.
>
> "Depression is an often serious and debilitating illness, with its own heart
> risks including heart disease and death," study researcher Jordan W. Smoller,
> MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital tells WebMD. "It is difficult to
> confidently tease apart the contribution of depression and the drugs used to
> treat it."
>
> The Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which began in 1991, followed more than
> 160,000 postmenopausal women in the U.S. for up to 15 years. The newly
> published analysis included more than 136,000 WHI participants who were not
> taking antidepressants at enrollment.
>
>
> Antidepressants and Stroke
>
> At their first follow-up visit, either one or three years after enrolling in
> the study, 5,500 women reported taking either tricyclic or SSRI
> antidepressants.
>
> Compared to women who did not take antidepressants, women who did had no
> greater risk for heart disease around six years later. But SSRI use was
> associated with a 32% greater risk of dying from all causes in one analysis and
> a 45% increased risk for stroke.
>
> Smoller points out that the overall increase in stroke risk among SSRI users
> was small -- less than 2% per year.
>
> "The vast majority of women taking antidepressants did not have one of these
> bad outcomes," he says.
>
> He adds that more research is needed to fully understand the impact, if any, of
> different classes of antidepressants on cardiovascular risk.
>
> It is also not clear if a similar association would be seen in men and younger
> women.
>
> Full story at
> http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20091214/antidepressants-may-raise-stroke-risk

Very helpful. I'll share this with other survivors.

While giving local support groups a try, I was disappointed to find that
most of those attending just wanted to whine and vent.

I had hoped to avoid inventing wheels that others had already
discovered. Work arounds for missing functions or abilities was my
goal in visiting the groups.

The other dominant impression was that of hopelessness or anger in the
members.
Since both of those emotions are counterproductive to recovery or good
health in general, the support group route was not for me.

Is this a group where people share experiences and what worked for them?

Dorothy

On Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:41:49 -0600, High Miles <2blues1723@comcast.net> wrote:

-->myhome@mts.net wrote:
-->> Study Shows Small Risk of Stroke and Death From All Causes
-->>
-->> By Salynn Boyles Dec. 14, 2009
-->>
-->> Older women who take antidepressants may have a slightly higher risk for
stroke
-->> and death.
-->>
-->> In a new finding from the large study known as the Women's Health
Initiative
-->> (WHI), postmenopausal women who took tricyclic or selective serotonin
reuptake
-->> inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants had a small increased risk of dying from
all
-->> causes, compared to women who did not take antidepressants.
-->>
-->> SSRI users also had a greater risk for strokes, especially strokes caused
by
-->> bleeding, but their overall risk was still quite small.
-->>
-->> It was not clear if the increase was caused by the medications or by the
-->> depression itself.
-->>
-->> "Depression is an often serious and debilitating illness, with its own
heart
-->> risks including heart disease and death," study researcher Jordan W.
Smoller,
-->> MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital tells WebMD. "It is difficult to
-->> confidently tease apart the contribution of depression and the drugs used
to
-->> treat it."
-->>
-->> The Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which began in 1991, followed more
than
-->> 160,000 postmenopausal women in the U.S. for up to 15 years. The newly
-->> published analysis included more than 136,000 WHI participants who were
not
-->> taking antidepressants at enrollment.
-->>
-->>
-->> Antidepressants and Stroke
-->>
-->> At their first follow-up visit, either one or three years after enrolling
in
-->> the study, 5,500 women reported taking either tricyclic or SSRI
-->> antidepressants.
-->>
-->> Compared to women who did not take antidepressants, women who did had no
-->> greater risk for heart disease around six years later. But SSRI use was
-->> associated with a 32% greater risk of dying from all causes in one
analysis and
-->> a 45% increased risk for stroke.
-->>
-->> Smoller points out that the overall increase in stroke risk among SSRI
users
-->> was small -- less than 2% per year.
-->>
-->> "The vast majority of women taking antidepressants did not have one of
these
-->> bad outcomes," he says.
-->>
-->> He adds that more research is needed to fully understand the impact, if
any, of
-->> different classes of antidepressants on cardiovascular risk.
-->>
-->> It is also not clear if a similar association would be seen in men and
younger
-->> women.
-->>
-->> Full story at
-->>
http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20091214/antidepressants-may-raise-stroke-risk
-->
-->Very helpful. I'll share this with other survivors.
-->
-->While giving local support groups a try, I was disappointed to find that
-->most of those attending just wanted to whine and vent.
-->
-->I had hoped to avoid inventing wheels that others had already
-->discovered. Work arounds for missing functions or abilities was my
-->goal in visiting the groups.
-->
-->The other dominant impression was that of hopelessness or anger in the
-->members.
-->Since both of those emotions are counterproductive to recovery or good
-->health in general, the support group route was not for me.
-->
-->Is this a group where people share experiences and what worked for them?
-->
-->Dorothy

Dorothy,

I sent you an email with info.

Stu