Common Antidepressants Linked to Increased Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Antidepressant use was associated with an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes in adolescents, according to the findings of a recent study.

In their retrospective cohort study, the researchers analyzed Medicaid claims of 119,608 youths from 5 to 20 years of age who initiated antidepressant treatment. The association between type 2 diabetes and antidepressant use was assessed based on current or former use, duration of use, cumulative dosage, and average daily dose. Antidepressants evaluated in the study included selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic or other cyclic antidepressants, and other antidepressants.
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During the mean 22.8 months of follow-up, 79,285 youths (66.3%) were prescribed SSRI and SNRI.

The researchers found that the risk of type 2 diabetes was significantly greater among current users of SSRIs or SNRIs compared with former users or SSRIs or SNRIs and tricyclic or other cyclic antidepressants, but not with other antidepressants.

Additionally, the risk for type 2 diabetes increased with the duration of SSRI or SNRI use and with the cumulative dosage for both antidepressants. Compared with youths with 1 to 150 days of SSRI or SNRI exposure, those with more than 150 days SSRI or SNRI exposure had a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Other antidepressant usage duration or cumulative dose was not associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

“The study findings provide an impetus to improve monitoring for benefits vs risks of antidepressant use in pediatric care models and to shed light on the underlying biological mechanism of antidepressant treatment–emergent type 2 diabetes,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Burcu M, Zito JM, Safer DJ, et al. Association of antidepressant medications with incident type 2 diabetes among Medicaid-insured youths [published online October 16, 2017]. JAMA Pediatr. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.2896.