Association between angiotensin receptor blockers and suicide: nationwide population-based propensity score matching...

Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) have been reported to ameliorate anxiety and mood disorders in animal models. Cohort links between ARB use and suicide risk in humans require clarification.

Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients diagnosed as having hypertension according to the criteria of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (401-405) from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2012 were enrolled as the target population. We defined enrollees who had received ARB prescriptions for at least 28 days as ARB users. Those who had never taken ARB prior or during the study period were defined as ARB nonusers and were propensity score-matched with ARB users. The end outcome was confirmation of a suicide attempt.

After propensity score matching was conducted, 40,976 ARB users and 40,976 nonusers were selected as the matched cohorts. The overall incidence rate of suicide attempt was significantly lower in ARB users than in nonusers (0.51 vs. 1.07 per 10,000 person-years; adjusted hazard ratio = 0.48, 95% confidence interval = 0.26-0.87). A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with a log-rank test revealed a lower cumulative incidence of suicide attempt in ARB users than in nonusers (p < 0.001 for the unmatched cohort; p = 0.01 for the matched cohort).

ARB use was not associated with an increased risk for suicide compared with non-ARB use.