Certain Anti-Depressants May Increase Stroke Risk in Post Menopausal Women

Certain anti-depressants may increase the stroke risk in post-menopausal women. The particular antidepressants which may lead to such an increase belong to the family of anti-depressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). They are sold as Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Celexa.
The findings were published in the December 14th edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study included 136,000 women as part of the Women’s Health Initiative. The participants were not taking antidepressants when enrolled in the study. The research found that women taking SSRI’s had a 45% increase in risk of a stroke.
More study is necessary since it’s still not clear whether the increased risk of stroke resulted in the ingestion of an SSRI or the depression. Post-menopausal women are thought to be more susceptible to depression and depression has been linked to an increase in cardiovascular issues.