Watch for arrhythmia risk with common SSRIs: study
While rare, it is important for GPs to be aware of the risk, says Associate Professor Ralph Audehm.
Over-65s prescribed escitalopram or citalopram are at increased risk of arrhythmia, while patients with known QT prolongation should avoid the SSRIs altogether, Norwegian researchers report.
The risk of iatrogenic cardiac arrest has been flagged for both antidepressants, but the latest study in eBioMedicine has quantified the specific serum concentrations that have proarrhythmic potential.
“Serum levels should be kept below 100nM to reduce arrhythmia risk,” the authors wrote.
They assessed the effect of escitalopram and citalopram — plus two common metabolites, demethylcitalopram and didemethylcitalopram — on cardiac muscle cells at three different doses.
