Are you on antidepressants? It is linked to higher risk of dementia

Use of antidepressants could lead to dementia suggests a new study, though it could not conclusively say that the drugs were the cause.

While anti-depressants can help mental health patients deal with depression, long-term use of certain anti-depressants could have serious side effects. A large study done by researchers from the University of East Anglia’s School of Health Science have linked use of antidepressants to dementia, though they could not definitively conclude that the drugs were the cause.

Previous studies have shown that medications commonly prescribed to reduce depression and anxiety may increase the risk of death by preventing multiple organs from functioning properly, and increase risk of bone disease.And among patients suffering from high blood pressure, antidepressants have been found to be less effective overall.

More than 3,00,000 people in Britain were part of the study and it found that those diagnosed with dementia were almost a third more likely to have been prescribed so-called anticholinergic medicines to treat depression and certain bladder conditions between four and 20 years earlier. “What we don’t know for sure is whether the medication is the cause of the dementia,” said George Savva from the University of East Anglia’s School of Health Science. He had co-authored the study in the BMJ medical journal.

“More than 50 million people worldwide are affected by dementia and this number is estimated to be 132 million by 2050,” Savva said in a statement. The study results suggested a “potential preventative approach” that demands further investigation. The team urged people taking anticholinergic medicines not to stop until they have consulted their doctor or pharmacist.

(With inputs from AFP)

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