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A University of Alberta scientist, Dr. Laura Brown, has discovered tentative evidence linking use of antidepressants to an increased risk of developing type 2 or adult onset diabetes. During the course of analyzing data from Saskatchewan health databases, Brown found that people with a history of depression had a 30 per cent increased risk of developing type 2 Diabetes.

Brown then scrutinized the medical history of 2,400 people who were diagnosed with depression on antidepressants to determine whether there was a clear correlation between that disease and type 2 Diabetes. As part of this she divided the group into four categories:

(1) Patients who took antidepressants that were considered older therapies; (2) those who were employing newer treatments; (3) those using a combination of both old and new treatments; and (4) people who were switching drugs.

What Dr. Brown found was the risk of diabetes almost doubled for the patients who were using tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) at the same time. Brown noted that people are usually prescribed multiple medications "if they have severe depression or if they are having a problem finding the right therapy."

Dr. Brown’s results plus those of previous studies that showed an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in people with depression, underscores the need to screen for this condition in people with depression, especially those taking more than one antidepressant.

Readers should acquaint themselves with SAM-e, a non-pharmaceutical compound that has shown efficacy in ameliorating depression in numerous published studies.

Depression - Natural Means to Alleviate the Blues    

Reference: University of Alberta (2008, March 26). Antidepressants Linked To Type 2 Diabetes, Study Suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/03/080325122804.htm