Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors May Increase Risk of Abnormal Bleeding

News Author: Laurie Barclay, MD
Nov. 24, 2004

New users of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have 2.6-fold increased risk of being admitted to the hospital for abnormal bleeding, according to the results of a nested case-control study published in the Nov. 22 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"Serotonin plays a role in platelet aggregation. Because antidepressants influence blood serotonin levels, their use may be associated with an increased risk of abnormal bleeding," write Welmoed E. E. Meijer, PhD, from the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Netherlands, and colleagues. "However, previous studies were inconclusive regarding this association."

Using data collected from 1992 through 2000, the investigators conducted a nested case-control study of a cohort of more than 64,000 new antidepressant users. The 196 cases, defined as all patients hospitalized for a primary diagnosis of abnormal bleeding, were matched with controls for age and sex. Exposure was classified according to the degree (high, intermediate, or low) of serotonin reuptake inhibition.

For complete article, see:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/494691_print