Another Step Toward Clarifying the Benefits and Burdens of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have substantial beneficial effects for the treatment of major depressive mood disorders and other conditions but can also result in unwanted clinical outcomes. One of the reported disadvantages of SSRIs, based on cross-sectional studies, is their adverse effects on glycemic control. However, in this issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, Tharmaraja et al. report a meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials, demonstrating beneficial effects of SSRIs on changes in glycemia. In this editorial, the advantages of meta-analysis in biobehavioral medicine are highlighted as well as the importance of the study designs (observational studies versus randomized controlled trials) on which the meta-analyses are based. This article concludes with an outline for future research directions in the area of SSRIs and glycemic control.