SSRIs Linked To Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes In Children

SSRIs Linked To Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes In Children

Introduction

JAMA Psychiatry published a study earlier this month, indicating that children who were prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, like Paxil, Celexa, or Zoloft are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are typically used in the treatment of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders that work by altering the levels of a mood-enhancing chemical called serotonin. The first SSRI introduced in the market was fluoxetine in 1985. SSRI is indicated in the treatment of major depression, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, social phobia, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, personality disorder, premenstrual disorder, and posttraumatic panic disorders. Off-label use of SSRI is a migraine, diabetic neuropathy, neurocardiogenic syncope, and fibromyalgia.

The national pediatric study conducted by Harvard researchers involved more than 1.5 million publicly and privately insured patients, aged between 10 to 19 years old, who were taking SSRIs as a treatment for depression. As per the findings, a 13% increased risk of type 2 diabetes was linked in publicly insured adolescents treated with SSRIs as compared to untreated patients. A 33% increased risk was seen in teenagers who continuously used SSRIs, filling one or more prescriptions every three months.

The study also implies that there might be 6.6 additional cases of diabetes per 10,000 adolescent or teen patients treated with SSRIs for the past two years, and the risk factor was statistically insignificant for privately insured young patients.

Last month, the Massachusetts General Hospital researchers also published a study in the medical journal JAMA Neurology, indicating that the antidepressants, prescribed to individuals after suffering a stroke, may increase the risk of suffering a brain bleed later.

The use of SSRIs is growing as more and more adolescents are suffering from depression and other anxiety disorders. Previous studies have indicated the link between SSRI antidepressants and diabetes among adults; children and teens are usually excluded from clinical trials, but concerns were always raised.

The researchers concluded that children and adolescents receiving SSRI treatment might be at a small increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and the potential small risk should be viewed in relation to the effectiveness of the antidepressants.