Antidepressants Can Cause Bone Loss in Elderly
June 25, 2007
Reuters Health Information
Reprinted from HealthCentral.com
NEW YORK - The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs),
such as Zoloft and Paxil, for treatment of depression is associated with
abnormally rapid bone loss in men and women age 65 and older, according
to two reports in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Cell receptors for serotonin are present in bone, a discovery that has
raised concern that SSRIs may affect bone metabolism.
In one study, Dr. Susan J. Diem, an epidemiologist at the University of
Minnesota in Minneapolis, and her associates measured hip bone levels
twice in 2722 women, first when the subjects' average age was 78 years,
and again approximately 5 years later.
SSRIs were being used by 198 women. After accounting for health status,
weight change, and other factors, bone levels in the hip decreased by 0.82
percent per year among SSRI users versus 0.47 percent per year among
nonusers.
In the second study, Dr. Elizabeth M. Haney, a geriatrician at the Oregon
Health and Science University in Portland, and her team analyzed data from
men who were an average of 74 years old.
The estimated bone level was 3.9 percent lower at the hip and 5.9 percent
lower at the lower spine among SSRI users compared with nonusers.
The both studies the researchers found that other classes of
antidepressants had no effect on bone levels.
"The biological plausibility, the consistency of these two studies with each
other and with previous studies, and the magnitude of the associations
partially support" the hypothesis that SSRI use causes bone loss, Dr.
Kenneth Saag states in his editorial, titled "Mend the Mind, but Mind the
Bones!"
Saag, a rheumatologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham,
recommends that reasons for starting and continuing SSRI therapy should
be carefully examined and consideration should be given to alternative
treatments for depression.
Nonetheless, he adds, "Those who truly need SSRIs should continue to
receive them despite potential bone concerns."
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, June 25, 2007.
Reuters Health Information
Reprinted from HealthCentral.com
NEW YORK - The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs),
such as Zoloft and Paxil, for treatment of depression is associated with
abnormally rapid bone loss in men and women age 65 and older, according
to two reports in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Cell receptors for serotonin are present in bone, a discovery that has
raised concern that SSRIs may affect bone metabolism.
In one study, Dr. Susan J. Diem, an epidemiologist at the University of
Minnesota in Minneapolis, and her associates measured hip bone levels
twice in 2722 women, first when the subjects' average age was 78 years,
and again approximately 5 years later.
SSRIs were being used by 198 women. After accounting for health status,
weight change, and other factors, bone levels in the hip decreased by 0.82
percent per year among SSRI users versus 0.47 percent per year among
nonusers.
In the second study, Dr. Elizabeth M. Haney, a geriatrician at the Oregon
Health and Science University in Portland, and her team analyzed data from
men who were an average of 74 years old.
The estimated bone level was 3.9 percent lower at the hip and 5.9 percent
lower at the lower spine among SSRI users compared with nonusers.
The both studies the researchers found that other classes of
antidepressants had no effect on bone levels.
"The biological plausibility, the consistency of these two studies with each
other and with previous studies, and the magnitude of the associations
partially support" the hypothesis that SSRI use causes bone loss, Dr.
Kenneth Saag states in his editorial, titled "Mend the Mind, but Mind the
Bones!"
Saag, a rheumatologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham,
recommends that reasons for starting and continuing SSRI therapy should
be carefully examined and consideration should be given to alternative
treatments for depression.
Nonetheless, he adds, "Those who truly need SSRIs should continue to
receive them despite potential bone concerns."
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, June 25, 2007.
| Editor's Note: One of the many services provided by CARE GIVERS NW is meal preparation. Our professional caregivers are trained to make certain our senior clients receive nutritious meals which answer their needs for high protein and calcium content - major factors in maintaining strong bone density as we get older. |
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