Antidepressant Use Among People With Heart Disease
Patients who suffer depression–around 50% of those hospitalized and as many as one-fifth of others–are up to five times more likely to die or experience further heart problems within the next year than others. SSRIs, such as Celexa (citalopram), Prozac (fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline), are thought to improve mood by preventing nerve cells from reabsorbing serotonin, thus increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter in the brain. Having low levels of serotonin is associated with depression, so “reuptake inhibitors,” by keeping more serotonin available to the brain, may relieve depression....