Defined as an unexpected natural death from a cardiovascular cause within a short time period (generally less than 1 hour from symptom onset) in a person without any prior fatal condition, the survival rate among patients with sudden cardiac arrest is extremely poor. Less than 1 percent of patients worldwide survive such an incident. Even in the United States, only 5 percent survive.
Analyzing death records in Denmark for 2010, the researchers who carried out this study examined over 4.3 million individuals aged 18 to 90 and found that those who had redeemed antidepressant prescriptions at least twice in a year during the previous 12 years were more likely to suffer sudden cardiac death. Among 643,999 individuals with antidepressant exposure, there were 1,981 cases of sudden cardiac death compared to 4,021 in the unexposed population.
The study showed that the risk of sudden cardiac death escalated with the duration of antidepressant use and varied by age group. For people exposed to antidepressants for one to five years, for example, the risk was 56 percent higher, while individuals with six or more years of use had a 2.2 times greater risk compared to the unexposed population. People aged 30-39 years old faced a fivefold increased risk with six or more years of use, while those aged 50-59 had a fourfold increase.
To learn how higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been found to slash the risk of sudden cardiac death by up to 45 percent, see this article on our website.
Dr. Rath’s Cellular Health Recommendations for Optimizing Digestive Health
April 7, 2025Western Diet Causes Inflammation While Traditional African Foods Protect, New Study Finds
April 11, 2025Use of Antidepressant Medication Linked to Substantial Increase in Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
News
In new research presented at EHRA 2025, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology, researchers show that individuals with a history of antidepressant use have an increased risk of sudden cardiac death.
[Source: medicalxpress.com]
[Image source: Adobe Stock]
Comment
Defined as an unexpected natural death from a cardiovascular cause within a short time period (generally less than 1 hour from symptom onset) in a person without any prior fatal condition, the survival rate among patients with sudden cardiac arrest is extremely poor. Less than 1 percent of patients worldwide survive such an incident. Even in the United States, only 5 percent survive.
Analyzing death records in Denmark for 2010, the researchers who carried out this study examined over 4.3 million individuals aged 18 to 90 and found that those who had redeemed antidepressant prescriptions at least twice in a year during the previous 12 years were more likely to suffer sudden cardiac death. Among 643,999 individuals with antidepressant exposure, there were 1,981 cases of sudden cardiac death compared to 4,021 in the unexposed population.
The study showed that the risk of sudden cardiac death escalated with the duration of antidepressant use and varied by age group. For people exposed to antidepressants for one to five years, for example, the risk was 56 percent higher, while individuals with six or more years of use had a 2.2 times greater risk compared to the unexposed population. People aged 30-39 years old faced a fivefold increased risk with six or more years of use, while those aged 50-59 had a fourfold increase.
To learn how higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been found to slash the risk of sudden cardiac death by up to 45 percent, see this article on our website.
Dr. Rath Health Foundation
Related posts
One in Five Indians Vitamin D Deficient
Read more