Heart drug link to suicide sparks debate
Research shows elderly patients on ARBs are 60% more likely to die by suicide than those on ACE inhibitors
Use of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) among elderly patients with hypertension and diabetes may be linked to an increased risk of suicide compared with ACE inhibitors, a Canadian study shows.
The University of Toronto researchers report that patients on ARBs are 60% more likely than those on ACE inhibitors to die by suicide, leading them to suggest this should influence the choice of agent in patients with severe mental illness.
