Symptoms of ageing are caused by drugs, new research finds
Many of
the problems associated with growing old—including falls, unsteadiness and an
increased risk of stroke—are the direct consequence of taking a prescription
drug, and now, the SSRI antidepressants have been added to the list of
culprits.
The SSRIs
(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), which include Prozac, are often
prescribed to the elderly to help them cope with their depression—but a new
study has discovered that they are the cause of symptoms that have been blamed
on the ageing process.
The drugs
quickened death, caused a stroke, a fall or a fracture, triggered an epileptic
fit and hyponatraemia (too-low salt levels in the blood), researchers from the
University of Nottingham have discovered.
The
researchers made the discovery after they analyzed the health records of 60,746
patients aged 65 and older who had recently been diagnosed with depression. Of
these, 89 per cent were taking an antidepressant drug and 57 per cent of these
were for an SSRI.
The SSRI
drugs most likely to cause an adverse reaction were trazodone, mirtazapine and
venlafaxine, and the risks were highest in the first 28 days of starting the
drug and during the month immediately after stopping the drug treatment (BMJ,
2011; 343: d4551).