A study revealed that not all antidepressant drugs have the same effect on weight gain.
- Seven million people in France take antidepressants.
- Among the undesirable side effects, weight gain is frequently mentioned.
- Not all antidepressants have the same effect on weight gain.
In France, seven million people use antidepressant drugs. Among their undesirable side effects, weight gain is regularly mentioned. This can then affect the metabolic health of patients and lead some to stop treatment, with a significant risk of relapse.
A study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicinerevealed that not all antidepressants have the same effect on weight gain.
Bupropion antidepressant leads to lower weight gain
To carry out this study, researchers from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute in the United States examined medical records of more than 180,000 adults aged 18 to 80 and under antidepressants. They compared the weight of the participants to 6, 12 and 24 months after the start of their treatment made up of eight current antidepressants: sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, bupropion, duloxetine and venlafaxine. “Patients and their caregivers often have several options when they start an antidepressant for the first time”specifies a press release.
It appeared that the people under bupropion, a selective inhibitor of the neuronal reuptake of catecholamines (noradrenaline and dopamine), took less weight than users of other antidepressants. They were “15 to 20 % less likely to gain a clinically significant weight” Let those who used the sertraline, the most commonly prescribed antidepressant.
Escitalopram and paroxetine lead to the greatest risk of weight gain
The study also highlighted that a “Large percentage of patients took a drug leading to greater weight gain than alternatives which are generally available in the same class or subclass”. For example, sertraline, escitalopram and paroxetine are selective inhibitors of serotonin reuptake (ISRS), the most common type of antidepressant, but escitalopram and paroxetine are associated with a “Risk of about 15 % higher to gain clinically significant weight” that sertraline in the first six months of treatment.
“This study provides concrete evidence of differences concerning the weight gain which can be expected after starting some of the most common antidepressants, Concludes Professor Joshua Petimar, who led the work. Doctors and patients can use this information, among other factors, to help them make the right choice. “
