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Mental Health
How Antidepressants Can Raise Your Risk of Heart Disease
Date: 05/04/11
Keywords: The Cholesterol Truth, adverse side effects, Anti-Depressant, Cholesterol, Depression, High Cholesterol, Mental health
Depression is a known side effect of cholesterol- lowering statin drugs. Last year, we reported on two separate studies, which both suggested that statin drugs might affect intelligence, cause depression and even raise the risk of suicide.
Now researchers are speculating that antidepressants may act synergistically with depressive symptoms to increase the risk of heart disease.
Previously, we told you how certain antidepressants (called
tricyclic antidepressants) are linked to a 35 per cent
increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Keeping that in mind, let’s also look at a few facts linking depression, low cholesterol levels and the use of statins:
The thick of it
Now, imagine you enjoy near-perfect health but after a series of unfortunate circumstances you start suffering from depression. Try as you may, you are unable to combat your feelings of melancholy. Finally, as a last resort, you start taking antidepressants — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), because these are the most commonly prescribed.
A year later, your condition has improved considerably and you stop the medication. You are ready to face the world head-on again, but after visiting your doctor for a regular check-up you’re told that you show some CVD symptoms...
How is this possible? You never took tricyclic antidepressants (the ones, as mentioned above, that can increase your risk of CVD by 35 per cent) you’ve always had an active, healthy lifestyle as well as maintaining healthy cholesterol levels...
The answer to this conundrum lies in the latest research findings from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, in the US.
After studying 59 male twin pairs, where one brother was taking an antidepressant and the other was not, researchers found that those in the antidepressant group had thicker arteries, which raised their risk of heart disease and stroke — known CVD risk factors.
The researchers speculated that antidepressants may act synergistically with depressive symptoms to increase cardiovascular disease. Lead researcher, Dr. Amit Shah added: "There is a potential interaction between the depressive symptoms, the neuro-hormonal effects of the depression itself, and the medication."
And the real kicker? The researchers found that the risk of developing heart disease and stroke was raised regardless of the class of antidepressants taken by the patients...
Rock and a hard place
So, where do statins fit into the picture?
Well, after your visit to the doctor and after his CVD diagnosis, chances are you’ll be sent home with a prescription for statin drugs... not because you have high cholesterol, but simply because the mainstream believes that statins are the ‘miracle cure’ for CVD!
In fact, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), recommends statin therapy for all adults with clinical evidence of CVD, as well as those considered to be at risk of CVD.
So, whilst you once enjoyed good health you may suddenly find yourself caught in a trap of taking prescription drugs (to treat conditions actually caused by the drugs!) and suffering the side effects of these drugs (Big Pharma admits ‘all drugs have side effects’, even though they also down play the risks). In the meantime your health slowly deteriorates as a result of taking this cocktail of drugs.
You may think that the point of today’s article is to scare the living daylights out of you, but that is not the case. Sometimes, it’s necessary to take a prescription drug for a brief period of time, but when you do so, it is important to be aware of all the risks involved — both the short-term and long-term ones.
Sadly, your doctor won’t always be aware of the risks associated with a certain type of medication because many of them are not always known... let’s face it, when statins hit the market 30 years ago, very little was known about their side effects and how this particular class of drugs can negatively effect your overall health. The same is true about antidepressants... the most recent research findings being a case in point...
If you’d like to read more about the dangers of statin drugs and how they can affect your health, as well as learning about healthy alternatives to keeping your heart healthy, click through to our blog, The Cholesterol Truth.
At the end of the day, your health is in your hands and there’s no reason why you should sign this fundamental right over to Big Pharma and further line their pockets.
Related Reading
Depression: The low-down on anti-depressants
Depression Linked To Heart Disease
Sources:
‘Study Reveals Statins Cause Depression’, published online 26.06.10, topnews.ae
‘Statins 'may cause loss of memory and depression', published online, 19.01.11, dailymail.co.uk
‘Low cholesterol linked to depression’ published online, news.bbc.co.uk
Twin Study: Carotid IMT Thicker in Antidepressant Users, published online 03.04.11, internalmedicinenews.com/news
Back to topKeeping that in mind, let’s also look at a few facts linking depression, low cholesterol levels and the use of statins:
- Depression is a known side effect of cholesterol- lowering statin drugs. Last year, we reported on two separate studies, which both suggested that statin drugs might affect intelligence, cause depression and even raise the risk of suicide.
- Research has also revealed how too low levels of cholesterol can increase your chances of suffering from depression. Why? Because cholesterol affects the metabolism of serotonin, a 'feel-good' hormone that regulates your mood. By lowering your cholesterol levels too much with statin drugs, you inadvertently interfere with an essential biological process.
The thick of it
Now, imagine you enjoy near-perfect health but after a series of unfortunate circumstances you start suffering from depression. Try as you may, you are unable to combat your feelings of melancholy. Finally, as a last resort, you start taking antidepressants — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), because these are the most commonly prescribed.
A year later, your condition has improved considerably and you stop the medication. You are ready to face the world head-on again, but after visiting your doctor for a regular check-up you’re told that you show some CVD symptoms...
How is this possible? You never took tricyclic antidepressants (the ones, as mentioned above, that can increase your risk of CVD by 35 per cent) you’ve always had an active, healthy lifestyle as well as maintaining healthy cholesterol levels...
The answer to this conundrum lies in the latest research findings from Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, in the US.
After studying 59 male twin pairs, where one brother was taking an antidepressant and the other was not, researchers found that those in the antidepressant group had thicker arteries, which raised their risk of heart disease and stroke — known CVD risk factors.
The researchers speculated that antidepressants may act synergistically with depressive symptoms to increase cardiovascular disease. Lead researcher, Dr. Amit Shah added: "There is a potential interaction between the depressive symptoms, the neuro-hormonal effects of the depression itself, and the medication."
And the real kicker? The researchers found that the risk of developing heart disease and stroke was raised regardless of the class of antidepressants taken by the patients...
Rock and a hard place
So, where do statins fit into the picture?
Well, after your visit to the doctor and after his CVD diagnosis, chances are you’ll be sent home with a prescription for statin drugs... not because you have high cholesterol, but simply because the mainstream believes that statins are the ‘miracle cure’ for CVD!
In fact, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), recommends statin therapy for all adults with clinical evidence of CVD, as well as those considered to be at risk of CVD.
So, whilst you once enjoyed good health you may suddenly find yourself caught in a trap of taking prescription drugs (to treat conditions actually caused by the drugs!) and suffering the side effects of these drugs (Big Pharma admits ‘all drugs have side effects’, even though they also down play the risks). In the meantime your health slowly deteriorates as a result of taking this cocktail of drugs.
You may think that the point of today’s article is to scare the living daylights out of you, but that is not the case. Sometimes, it’s necessary to take a prescription drug for a brief period of time, but when you do so, it is important to be aware of all the risks involved — both the short-term and long-term ones.
Sadly, your doctor won’t always be aware of the risks associated with a certain type of medication because many of them are not always known... let’s face it, when statins hit the market 30 years ago, very little was known about their side effects and how this particular class of drugs can negatively effect your overall health. The same is true about antidepressants... the most recent research findings being a case in point...
If you’d like to read more about the dangers of statin drugs and how they can affect your health, as well as learning about healthy alternatives to keeping your heart healthy, click through to our blog, The Cholesterol Truth.
At the end of the day, your health is in your hands and there’s no reason why you should sign this fundamental right over to Big Pharma and further line their pockets.
Related Reading
Depression: The low-down on anti-depressants
Depression Linked To Heart Disease
|
Want to know the real truth about cholesterol? Ever wondered why doctors, surgeons, hospitals, drug companies — or anyone else in the medical profession — don't tell you the shocking truth about statins? Why wouldn’t they want you to know that these cholesterol-lowering drugs come with a huge list of side-effects — including kidney failure and increased risk of stroke! Ask yourself why Big Pharma also don't want you to know that statins seriously deplete your body of Coenzyme-Q10 (CoQ10) – the vital heart nutrient that naturally PREVENTS heart attacks and strokes? To answer all these questions as well as exposing one of the biggest mainstream cons in medical history, click here |
Sources:
‘Study Reveals Statins Cause Depression’, published online 26.06.10, topnews.ae
‘Statins 'may cause loss of memory and depression', published online, 19.01.11, dailymail.co.uk
‘Low cholesterol linked to depression’ published online, news.bbc.co.uk
Twin Study: Carotid IMT Thicker in Antidepressant Users, published online 03.04.11, internalmedicinenews.com/news
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