DIFFERENT antidepressants have widely varying potential impacts on the body, according to researchers from King's College London who recommended the information be considered when choosing which medication is likely to be appropriate for an individual patient.
The team analysed the combined findings from 168 studies and reports on antidepressant side-effects involving over 58,000 people to look at the impact of 30 different medications over eight weeks of use.
They found some antidepressants had different impacts on heart rate, blood pressure and body weight that were "large and clinically relevant".
In terms of heart rate change, there was a difference of more than 20 beats per minute between fluvoxamine (approximately eight BPM decrease) and nortriptyline (a 14 BPM increase).
There were blood pressure differences of over 10 mmHg variation - approximately 7mmHg decrease for nortriptyline and a 5mmHg increase for doxepin.
Meanwhile, some antidepressants were linked to weight gain in almost half the people who used them while others were linked to weight loss in over half those who used them.
For example, weight change from using agomelatine was around 2.5kg weight loss, while from maprotiline, there was a 2kg weight gain - amounting to around 4kg difference between the two drugs.
Most antidepressants did not show major effects on kidney or liver function, electrolyte levels or heart rhythm, nor was there an association between changes in depressive symptoms and metabolic disturbance.
The team also noted that other effects of antidepressants were not covered in their study, such as sexual or emotional changes and differences in drug effectiveness, and these should also be considered alongside these results.
Unknowns remain around the long-term impact on the body for these antidepressants, and the authors emphasised that these findings should not deter people from taking antidepressants, which remain "vital and effective treatments for mental health conditions".
"Treatment guidelines should be updated to reflect differences in physiological risk, but choice of antidepressant should be made on an individual basis, considering clinical presentation and preferences of patients, carers, and clinicians," the authors concluded.
Read the paper HERE. KB
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 23 Oct 25
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 23 Oct 25
