Which antidepressants are the biggest culprits in weight gain?
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Which antidepressants are the biggest culprits in weight gain? Two studies presented at the 23rd Annual Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology examined the effect of various antidepressants on patients’ BMI. In the first of the studies, conducted by researchers from South Korea, acute depression patients treated with mirtazapine experienced a significant increase in BMI, when compared with those treated with venlafaxine or other SSRIs.1 A total of 227 patients admitted to the psychiatric ward of Inha University Hospital for treatment of acute depression were receiving either mirtazapine, venlafaxine, or other SSRI. Analysis of medical records and laboratory data showed that, from the 3rd week of admission, BMI increased significantly more among mirtazapine recipients than among the other groups. This BMI increase persisted until the 4th week of admission. Patients treated with mirtazapine also demonstrated a significantly greater increase in cholesterol than the venlafaxine and SSRI groups. The second study was a meta-analysis of 116 studies reporting BMI changes during antidepressant treatment, and was performed by investigators from Italy.2 Their analysis showed that amitriptyline, mirtazapine and paroxetine were all associated with a greater risk of weight gain than other antidepressants. The investigators also found that fluoxetine and bupropion were associated with some weight loss, although the effect of fluoxetine "appears to be limited to the acute phase of treatment". Other antidepressants were found to have a "transient or negligible" effect on patients’ weight in the short term, with effects varying "greatly" depending on individual patient characteristics, and generally becoming more evident in the long term. 1. Kang MH, et al. Comparison of BMI changes associated with various antidepressant treatments during acute depression. 23rd Annual Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology : abstr. P.2.c.010, 28 Aug 2010. Available from: URL: http://www.ecnp.eu. 2. Serretti A. Weight gain and antidepressants: a meta-analysis clearly differentiates SSRIs differences. 23rd Annual Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology : abstr. S.21.01, 28 Aug 2010. Available from: URL: http://www.ecnp.eu. 801108785
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Reactions 9 Oct 2010 No. 1322
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