Oct 28, 2025
3 min read
Millions of people around the world practice contraception.Although these drugs can be effective in treating mental illnesses such as depression and
Millions of people around the world practice contraception.Although these drugs can be effective in treating health problems such as depression and anxiety, they can also cause many physical effects, including high blood pressure, and changes in blood pressure.
However, not all antihistamines are equal in the geochemical effects they have on the body, a new analysis by me and my colleagues has revealed.
We found clear and significant differences between the drugs, some of which had greater effects on weight, heart rate, cholesterol levels and blood pressure.These differences are important to the millions of people who take these drugs.
A study with 151 randomized trials
Our study pooled 151 randomized trials, including data from 58,534 people, and looked at 30 different antidepressants.Each study recorded routine physical measurements taken at the clinic, such as blood pressure, body weight, and heart rate.Most studies lasted about eight weeks.
We can use a technique called network meta-analysis, which allows us to compare multiple treatments at the same time.This approach provides a sort of “lead card” of treatments, ranking them from best to worst for each physical health outcome.
Even after we had only 8 weeks of treatment, the physical effects of the different antidepressants remained unclear.
There are significant differences in the effect of different drugs on body weight. For example, those taking agomelatine lost an average of about 2.5 kilograms, whereas those taking maprotiline gained about 2 kilograms.
The effects on heart rate were also very different.Fluvoxamine lowered heart rate by eight beats per minute, while nortriptyline increased it to 14, a 20-bpm difference between the drugs.Systolic blood pressure showed a difference of more than 11 mmHg between doxepin and nortriptyline.
Regarding cholesterol and glucose levels, several antidepressants, including paroxetine, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, and duloxetine, were associated with higher total cholesterol, and duloxetine was associated with higher blood glucose levels.
It is important to note that the analysis only focused on eight weeks of antidepressant treatment.Because many people use them for long periods of time, the long-term physical effects can be even greater in real life.Therefore, patients taking antidepressants should be monitored regularly.
We include only the objective results collected from the process.Some of the important physical problems of sexual dysfunction are not often learned, they are not missing from data, but they are not important.It is important for future research to investigate the results.
For years, the debate about antidepressants has focused on questions such as: "Do they work?"or “Are the side effects real?”Our results suggest a more meaningful question: Which drug is best for each person based on their physical health and priorities?
The data show that antidepressants are not interchangeable.For people with height, diabetes or hypertension, choose an antidepressant with a neutral effect on weight, glucose and blood pressure and blood pressure.But for a person who is underweight or has low blood pressure, the priorities may be different.The correct answer will depend on the patient.
In light of our recent findings, it is more important than ever that non-profits work closely with patients to understand their options and choose the right antidepressant.
Of course, it's difficult for doctors, who have to consider two infertility Antidepressants and their side effects.Therefore, in addition to the analysis, the doctor and the patient can use together to correct the correct and correct look.
The tool allows patients to select the side effects they most want to avoid and determine the importance of each.It then combines these preferences with databases of side effects and produces a personalized table based on how well antidepressants match the patient's preferences.
Antidepressants are effective for many people.Our study does not change this.But it goes to show that not all antidepressants are created equal.We now have high-quality evidence that their effects on weight, blood pressure, heart rate and glucose differ in clinically meaningful ways.
Instead of arguing for or against antidepressants as a group,We should focus on individualizing medicine.by joint decision between the doctor and the patient
Tools like the one we've developed make this possible, so patients can receive safer, better-tolerated antidepressants.
This article was originally published on Chat.
