Here’s another reason antidepressants, specifically SSRI’s, are controversial:

A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine says they were responsible for a substantially increased risk of fracture. And daily use was also associated with increased odds of falling, lower bone mineral density at the hip, and a trend toward lower bone mineral density at the spine.

The upshot? Daily use of SSRI’s, which includes Zoloft and Prozac, in adults 50 years and older may be a bigger issue than anyone knew. As the authors point out, “depression and fragility fractures are common in this age group, and the elevated risk attributed to daily SSRI use may have important public health consequences.”

David Goltzman, a Montreal endocrinologist and the study’s senior author, told The Toronto Star that eliminating SSRI’s automatically may not be wise either. “It just means individuals should be aware this is a side-effect and they should probably also take general steps in order to prevent osteoporosis.”

The study was funded, in part, by the Canadian government, and several drug companies, including Eli Lilly, which sells Cymbalta, an antidepressant, and Merck Frosst, which sells Fosamax, an osteoporosis drug.
[tags]Antidepressants, Archives of Internal Medicine, Cymbalta, Eli Lilly, Fosamax, Merck, SSRI’s[/tags]