Generally, difference in risk associated with antidepressant exposure decreases with age
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, April 16, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Exposure time to antidepressants in adults is associated with a higher risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD), according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Heart Rhythm Association, held from March 30 to April 1 in Vienna.
Jasmin Mujkanovic, M.D., from Rigshospitalet Hjertecentret in Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues investigated the association between duration of antidepressant use and SCD in 2010 among the adult Danish population. The analysis included death certificates and autopsy reports.
The researchers identified 6,002 cases of SCD among 45,701 deaths. Among 643,999 adults exposed to antidepressant medication in the previous year, there were 1,981 cases of SCD. Compared with the general population, the incidence rate of SCD was significantly higher in the antidepressant-exposed group. When adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities, the group exposed to antidepressants for one to five years had a 56 percent higher risk for SCD, while those exposed to antidepressants for six or more years had a 2.2-fold higher risk. For individuals aged 30 to 39 years, those with one to five years of antidepressant exposure were about three times more likely to have SCD. Those aged 50 to 59 years had two times greater risk, and those aged 70 to 79 years had an 83 percent increased risk.
“The increased risk of sudden cardiac death may be attributed to the potential adverse effects of the antidepressants,” Mujkanovic said in a statement. “However, the exposure time to antidepressants might also serve as a marker for more severe underlying illness.”
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