Are you or somebody that you love taking antidepressant medication? The evidence for antidepressant therapy may be based, in part at least, on short term studies. You may also be interested in the effect of antidepressant medication on your weight.
Effect of antidepressant medication on weight
The link between obesity and cardiovascular disease means that you should consider how antidepressant medication may be affecting your risk for heart disease and other physical ailments.
The results of one study on the relationship between obesity and antidepressant medication was published online in JAMA Psychiatry.
As reported in Medscape (“When it comes to antidepressant-related weight gain, not all agents are equal, new research shows”):
“We were interested in answering the question that patients ask all the time, which is, how much weight am I going to gain on this stuff?” said study author Roy H. Perlis, MD, associate professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and director, Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
Previous studies had provided some data, but not for as long a period, and so did not reflect the full impact of weight gain, said Dr. Perlis. “The idea that you can look at an 8-week trial and get the whole story is just not the case.”
What is the effect of long-term use of antidepressant therapy?
Review of antidepressant regimens declines over time for patients receiving long-term antidepressant therapy through primary care clinics, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and published online in Family Practice.
As reported in Medscape
Holistic Therapy Online -Eric Buck MFTPrimary care physicians lack evidence-based recommendations for how often they should check in with their patients receiving long-term antidepressant therapy, the researchers write. Some evidence suggests that the frequency of medication review may depend on comorbidities, possibility of relapse, and severity of depression.
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