SSRIs linked to risk of recurrent haemorrhagic stroke
The findings suggest a need for prudence if considering the drugs for patients already at higher risk, researchers say
People who have had an intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) are at increased risk of recurrence if they take SSRIs for depression, a US cohort study shows.
Furthermore, the risk of recurrence appears to be SSRI dose-dependent and is worse in those who have other risk factors for a second brain haemorrhage, the authors report.
Meanwhile, taking SSRIs does help in remission of post-stroke depression, the results show, leading the authors to advise “careful consideration” before prescribing the antidepressants in patients at high risk of recurrence.
In the study, 1279 patients (mean age 71, 47% women, 82% Caucasian) who were discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital between 2006 and 2017 after ICH were followed for a median of 53 months.
