Major study exposes dramatic differences in antidepressants' effects on physical health

In a world-first, scientists have ranked the physical health impacts of common antidepressants, revealing dramatic differences in their side effects on aspects like weight, heart rate, and blood pressure.

The analysis reveals that the drastic impacts start within just the first eight weeks of usage.

The study is conducted by King’s College London and the University of Oxford where researchers compared 30 medications using data from over 58,500 patients.

The results reveal that the choice of antidepressant could lead to a 4kg (8.8lb) difference in weight, a 21-beats-per-minute swing in heart rate and a serious change in blood pressure.

Dr. Atheeshaan Arumuham from King’s College London stated, “For the first time, we can clearly see that no two antidepressants are built the same.”

This study marks a revolutionary tool in personalized medicine signifying that one-size-fits-all approach is unsuitable and outdated.

Key differences revealed

The research noted stark contrasts including:

• Weight: Patients on maprotiline gained 2kg, while those on agomelatine lost 2.4 kg.
• Heart rate: Nortriptyline increased heart rate by about 14 bpm, whereas fluvoxamine decreased it by 8bpm.
• Blood pressure: Significant variations were recorded, with an 11mmHg difference between some drugs.

Although the changes are short-term, their clinical significance is chronic, potentially prompting risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or heart attack over time.

A call for personalized prescriptions

The researchers put emphasis that the research’s main goal is to empower patients and doctors instead of scaring them.

Lead researcher, Dr. Toby Pillinger, stated, “The aim isn’t to deter use but to empower patients and clinicians to make informed choices.”

The study showcases how treatment should be tailored to the patient's needs and physical body conditions.

According to statistics, approximately 85% of UK prescriptions are just three antidepressants as they are “generic and cheap medications.”

Professor Andrea Cipriani from Oxford put emphasis on implementing these findings to give better-suited treatment to patients to “reduce the 85% dramatically.”

The team is also in the process of developing a free online tool to aid this shared decision-making, marking a major step towards more personalized and safer mental healthcare.