Scientists told about the dangers of long-term administration of antidepressants
MOSCOW, 30 Jul — RIA Novosti. Long-term use of antidepressants increases the risk of developing dementia. To such conclusion scientists from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Aston University. The results of their research published in the journal BMJ.
Scientists have considered some antidepressants within the broader group of drugs, the anticholinergics, which include drugs against Parkinson’s disease and from diseases of the bladder.
They examined the medical data of more than 40 thousand patients older than 65 years, who in the period from 2006 to 2015 were diagnosed with dementia, and compared them with data from more than 283 thousand people, never this disease are not suffering.
It turned out that some patients taking anticholinergic agents, the risk of developing dementia increased by 30%. In the case of antidepressants, the figure is 18%, with urological anticholinergics — 11%.
According to Chris Fox, Professor of clinical psychiatry at Norwich medical school, UEA and one of the authors of the study, he and his colleagues were able to identify a “serious risk” to which you should pay attention to both doctors and patients.
“Weighing all the “pros” and “cons”, they should take into account the risk of long-term cognitive effects as well as short-term effects associated with the use of a particular drug,” said he.
Previously, experts noted other effects associated with taking antidepressants, both positive and negative. Researchers from Stanford University found that they could slow tumor growth in small cell lung cancer. Doctors from the University Southamton, in turn, drew attention to the relationship drugs for depression risk of developing diabetes.