Antidepressants enhance old age fracture risk

Daily dosage of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s)-- a type of antidepressant, doubles the risk of fracture from falls in adults over 50, a new Canadian study revealed.

The results of the study conducted at the McGill University in Montreal also revealed that as SSRIs have a direct weakening effect on bones, it makes them more susceptible to fracture. Furthermore, formulated to numb the brain and central nervous system, antidepressants lead to low blood pressure and fainting spells, thus raising the risk of falling.

Affecting an estimated 10 percent of the U.S. population, depression symptoms in adults are commonly treated by SSRIs namely, Eli Lilly & Co.'s Prozac, Pfizer Inc.'s Zoloft, GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Paxil, Forest Laboratories Inc.'s Celexa.

The study led by Dr. David Goltzman, Royal Victoria Hospital and McGill University is published in the January 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

For the study, the research team analyzed 5,008 Canadian adults aged 50 years and older for more than five years. Information reviews reported daily use of SSRIs by 137 of the study's participants.

Bone mineral density was measured for each participant at the start of the study and was followed for five years. Participants of the study were also asked to report any fractures.

On examination, the researchers found a direct link between the use of SSRI’s and fractures. The patients were found at twice the risk of fractures than their normal counterparts.

Participants were particularly vulnerable to fractures of the forearm, ankle and foot, whereas, fractures of the hip, rib, femur, and back were less prone areas, researchers reported.

The researchers also found that the effect depended on the dose of the drug. Doubling the dose resulted in a 1.5 times increase in the risk of falling.

The researchers of the study warn that depression therapists need to weigh the benefits of SSRIs for depression with the increased risk of fractures as they make treatment decisions.