Certain medications could double your risk of dementia
If you’re one of the more than 425,000 Kiwis currently holding a prescription for antidepressants, you may be twice as likely to develop dementia (and Alzheimer’s) than the rest of the population.
Canadian researchers have found that people who take a class of antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) as well as certain other classes are at a much higher risk of these diseases – and higher still if you’ve been taking them since before the age of 65.
The study’s lead author, Dr Darrell Mousseau of the University of Saskatchewan believes this more people than necessary are being exposed to this risk due to the high prescription rates of antidepressants.
“They’re being prescribed ‘off label,’ meaning for non-depression related situations,” Dr Mousseau told the Calgary Herald. They’re being prescribed to very young children and to the very old. They’re almost becoming the antibiotic of this century: ‘If you’ve got a disease, take an SSRI. It’s going to help you in one way, shape or form.’”
However, Dr Mousseau doesn’t wish to frighten the people taking these drugs. “They certainly do benefit some people,” he said. “But we do find this association (with dementia) and, if nothing else, I think the discussion needs to begin.”
Another new study by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland has also found an association between antidepressant use and an increased risk of hip fractures in older people.
“Antidepressant use was associated with two times higher risk of hip fracture among controls,” the study’s author wrote in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. “If antidepressant use is necessary, researchers recommend that the medication and its necessity be monitored regularly. In addition, other risk factors for falling should be carefully considered during the antidepressant treatment.”
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