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Should selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors be prescribed to all patients with ischemic heart disease?

Wei Jiang1, Ranga R Krishnan

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, PO Box 3366, Durham, NC 27710, USA. jiang001@mc.duke.edu

Current Psychiatry Reports
|May 15, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Depression and ischemic heart disease are linked by increased platelet aggregation. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may reduce cardiac events by inhibiting this platelet activity.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Growing evidence links depression and ischemic heart disease (IHD).
  • Increased platelet aggregation is a key mechanism connecting depression and IHD.
  • Platelet activity is exacerbated in individuals with both conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the role of platelet aggregation in the depression-IHD relationship.
  • To investigate the potential cardioprotective effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent studies and clinical trial data.
  • Analysis of the pharmacological effects of SSRIs on platelet function.

Main Results:

  • Elevated platelet aggregation observed in patients with depression or IHD.
  • SSRIs, commonly used antidepressants, also exhibit antiplatelet properties.
  • Large-scale trials suggest SSRIs may decrease cardiac events in post-myocardial infarction and unstable angina patients.

Conclusions:

  • SSRIs may mitigate cardiac risks associated with depression and IHD through their antiplatelet effects.
  • Targeting platelet aggregation could be a therapeutic strategy for comorbid depression and IHD.

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