Taking this common long -term medication can lead to heart disease, says a new study

More than 15 million Americans have been taking these drugs for at least five years.


Heart disease is theCause of death In the United States, among men and women, representingOne in five deaths in the nation. Despite these frightening statistics, many of us still put us without knowing itHeart disease risk Through our health and lifestyle habits. Now, a new study highlights a way in which we accidentally increase our risk: a common drug used by millions of Americans could endanger us. Read the rest to know which medication could endanger your heart and what to do if you take it in the long term.

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Several drugs can cause cardiovascular problems.

prescription pill bottles
StevecocoliMages / Istock

Research shows that several types of drugs have been linked to serious heart conditions. According to a report by the American Heart Association published in the Medical ReviewTraffic, most of these drugsexacerbate existing heart problems, rather than causing problems directly by myocardial toxicity.

To worsen things, your heart risk increases if youMix the drugs, experts say. In fact, a May 2022 study published in the journalPharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety found that "the use of several drugs with known cardiovascular side effects at the same time doubled and sometimes tripled, the risk of heart attack, stroke or death in the elderly without previous cardiovascular disease".AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

Read this then:If you notice it in your legs, check heart failure.

Taking this common long -term medication has been linked to heart disease.

young woman looking at oblong white pill
Josep Suria / Shutterstock

According to a study in September 2022 published in theBritish Journal of Psychiatry Open,,Use of antidepressants For a period of 10 years, is associated with a double increase in coronary diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and all causes. The antidepressants most closely associated with unwanted heart effects were mirtazapine, venlafaxine, duloxetine and trazodone, although some serotonin reuptake inhibitors (ISRS) have also been linked to heart complications.

However, the study also noted that the same data, collected from more than 220,000 adults who contributed to the Biobank of the United Kingdom, revealed that the use of antidepressant drugs at 10 years was linked to 23 risks reduced high blood pressure, and a reduction of 32%Risk of diabetes.

"Our message for clinicians is thatlong -term antidepressants prescription May not be without damage [and] we hope that this study will help doctors and patients to have more informed conversations when they assess the risks and potential advantages of treatment for depression ","Narinder Bansal, MD, an author of study and honorary researcher at the University of Bristol said in a press release (viaMedscape).

Depression itself could also be to blame.

Older black man and woman depressed
Shutterstock / Monkey corporate images

Although the study has found a correlation between the use of antidepressants and variousheart disease, he ceased to establish a causality. In fact, depression is itself considered as a risk factor for heart disease, since those suffering from depression are more likely to smoke, lead a sedentary lifestyle, sleep badly or wear an excess weight.

However, experts say that these related lifestyle factors are not the only reason why depression and heart conditions are linked. ""Trauma, depression, anxiety and stress Can cause changes that can affect your health, not only because you can fall into habits that are bad for your heart. Research shows that mental health also has physiological effects on the body, "explains the American Heart Association. These include an excess of stress cortisol, higher blood pressure, etc.

The researchers argue that the association is a causality or a correlation, the point to remember from the study remains unchanged. "It does not matter that drugs are the underlying cause of these problems, our results underline the importance of proactive cardiovascular surveillance and prevention in patients who suffer from depression and are on antidepressants, since the two have was associated with higher risks, "said Bansal.

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Researchers say it is an increasing problem.

doctor handing prescription to patient
Shutterstock / Bacho

The study suggests an urgent problem, taking into account the increase in the use of long -term antidepressants. According to a 2018 article inThe New York Times,,More than 15.5 million Americans Take antidepressants for at least five years and 25 million have taken them for two years or more.

"Antidepressants are one of the most prescribed drugs. Seventy million prescriptions were distributed in 2018, rising nearly a doubling of the ordinances in a decade," according to study authors. "This striking increase in prescription is attributed to long -term treatment rather than an increased incidence of depression."

If you have taken long -term antidepressant medications, talk to your doctor if your current treatment plan could cause harmful effects, especially if you believe that you can be at high risk of heart disease. They may be able to adjust your dosage or recommend alternative treatments with a lower probability of side effects.


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