Taking antidepressants could increase the risk of an early death, a controversial new study suggests.
Researchers with McMaster Universty in Canada analyzed the
results from 17 previous studies, including nearly 380,000 people, and
found a 9 percent increased risk of death among those who took
antidepressants, the
Daily Mail reports.
Althought that slight increase was "not statistically
significant," the scientists said, a deeper analysis found depressed
people without heart disease who took antidepressants are 33 percent
more likely to die than those who did not.
But psychiatrists disputed the findings of the controversial
study, arguing antidepressants have been safely used for years and
offer a vital lifeline for people with no other options.
Studies show that untreated depression increases the risk of
suicide and other life-threatening health problems. But research
findings have been inconclusive on whether antidepressants or the
depressive symptoms they are designed to treat are behind the increased
risk of premature death in those who take such drugs.
Even so, critics suggest many people taking antidepressants may not
actually need them, with scientific studies showing psychotherapy,
cognitive behavioral therapy, and other treatment approaches are as
effective as drugs, or more so. But doctors routinely prescribe the
pills because of long waiting lists for therapy.
