Previous studies have found that individuals with psychiatric disorders are twice as likely to experience sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, the extent to which antidepressant use contributes to this elevated risk remains uncertain. To explore this further, a study has analyzed data from 4.3 million individuals aged 18-90 years to assess the impact of antidepressant use on SCD risk.
The study found that using antidepressants for one to five years increases the risk of SCD by 56% while using them for six or more years raises the risk by 2.2 times. Notably, individuals aged 30-39 years with one to five years of antidepressant exposure faced approximately a threefold increase in SCD risk, while those with six or more years of use experienced a fivefold increase in risk. These findings indicate that prolonged use of antidepressants may significantly increase the risk of SCD, highlighting…
