Biomaterial Database

Cardiovascular toxicity of antidepressant medications. 1987

W K Jackson, and S P Roose, and A H Glassman

New York Psychiatric Institute, N.Y.

This article reviews the cardiovascular effects of the standard tricyclic antidepressant agents and the cardiovascular effects of the newer antidepressant drugs. The cardiovascular effects of the standard tricyclic agents are orthostatic hypotension, conduction delay, and a potent antiarrhythmic effect. Patients with congestive heart failure receiving cardiac medications are at greatly increased risk for orthostatic hypotension, while patients with preexisting conduction delay are at risk for heart block. Of the newer antidepressant drugs, mianserin, nomifensine, and bupropion initially appeared to be most promising in terms of cardiovascular effects, but subsequently proved to have other serious liabilities; these agents require further testing. Trazodone has emerged as the antidepressant drug with the least risk of death in overdose, and as a useful alternative to the standard tricyclic antidepressant drugs in patients with preexisting conduction disease. However, trazodone therapy has been associated with some adverse effects, and, therefore, from the data presented in this paper, it can be concluded that no drug currently available is without some cardiovascular risk.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007024	Hypotension, Orthostatic	A significant drop in BLOOD PRESSURE after assuming a standing position. Orthostatic hypotension is a finding, and defined as a 20-mm Hg decrease in systolic pressure or a 10-mm Hg decrease in diastolic pressure 3 minutes after the person has risen from supine to standing. Symptoms generally include DIZZINESS, blurred vision, and SYNCOPE.	Hypotension, Postural,Orthostatic Hypotension,Postural Hypotension
D003866	Depressive Disorder	An affective disorder manifested by either a dysphoric mood or loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities. The mood disturbance is prominent and relatively persistent.	Depression, Endogenous,Depression, Neurotic,Depression, Unipolar,Depressive Syndrome,Melancholia,Neurosis, Depressive,Unipolar Depression,Depressions, Endogenous,Depressions, Neurotic,Depressions, Unipolar,Depressive Disorders,Depressive Neuroses,Depressive Neurosis,Depressive Syndromes,Disorder, Depressive,Disorders, Depressive,Endogenous Depression,Endogenous Depressions,Melancholias,Neuroses, Depressive,Neurotic Depression,Neurotic Depressions,Syndrome, Depressive,Syndromes, Depressive,Unipolar Depressions
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000928	Antidepressive Agents	Mood-stimulating drugs used primarily in the treatment of affective disorders and related conditions. Several MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS are useful as antidepressants apparently as a long-term consequence of their modulation of catecholamine levels. The tricyclic compounds useful as antidepressive agents (ANTIDEPRESSIVE AGENTS, TRICYCLIC) also appear to act through brain catecholamine systems. A third group (ANTIDEPRESSIVE AGENTS, SECOND-GENERATION) is a diverse group of drugs including some that act specifically on serotonergic systems.	Antidepressant,Antidepressant Drug,Antidepressant Medication,Antidepressants,Antidepressive Agent,Thymoanaleptic,Thymoanaleptics,Thymoleptic,Thymoleptics,Antidepressant Drugs,Agent, Antidepressive,Drug, Antidepressant,Medication, Antidepressant
D001145	Arrhythmias, Cardiac	Any disturbances of the normal rhythmic beating of the heart or MYOCARDIAL CONTRACTION. Cardiac arrhythmias can be classified by the abnormalities in HEART RATE, disorders of electrical impulse generation, or impulse conduction.	Arrhythmia,Arrythmia,Cardiac Arrhythmia,Cardiac Arrhythmias,Cardiac Dysrhythmia,Arrhythmia, Cardiac,Dysrhythmia, Cardiac
D014196	Trazodone	A serotonin uptake inhibitor that is used as an antidepressive agent. It has been shown to be effective in patients with major depressive disorders and other subsets of depressive disorders. It is generally more useful in depressive disorders associated with insomnia and anxiety. This drug does not aggravate psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders. (From AMA Drug Evaluations Annual, 1994, p309)	AF-1161,Apo-Trazodone,Deprax,Desyrel,Gen-Trazodone,Molipaxin,Novo-Trazodone,Nu-Trazodone,PMS-Trazodone,Ratio-Trazodone,Thombran,Tradozone,Trazodon Hexal,Trazodon-Neuraxpharm,Trazodone Hydrochloride,Trazon,Trittico,AF 1161,AF1161,Apo Trazodone,Gen Trazodone,Novo Trazodone,Nu Trazodone,PMS Trazodone,Ratio Trazodone,RatioTrazodone,Trazodon Neuraxpharm,TrazodonNeuraxpharm