Greater fracture risk possible w/use of antidepressants

[agate]

Use of antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs might put people with MS at greater risk of fracture, according to the study below:

Quote:

Neurology. 2012 May 16. Risk of fractures in patients with multiple sclerosis: A population-based cohort study Bazelier MT, van Staa TP, Uitdehaag BM, Cooper C, Leufkens HG, Vestergaard P, Herings RM, de Vries F. From the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (M.T.B., T.-P.v.S., H.G.M.L., F.d.V.), Utrecht University, the Netherlands; General Practice Research Database (T.-P.v.S.), Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, London; MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit (T.-P.v.S., C.C., F.d.V.), University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; MS Center Amsterdam (B.M.J.U.), VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Institute of Musculoskeletal Sciences (C.C.), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; The Osteoporosis Clinic (P.V.), Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; and Pharmo Institute (R.M.C.H.), Utrecht, the Netherlands. OBJECTIVE: To examine the risk of fracture in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with population-based controls. METHODS: A population-based cohort study was performed in the Dutch PHARMO Record Linkage System (1998-2008). Patients with MS (n = 2,415) were matched by year of birth, sex, and practice to up to 6 patients without MS (controls). We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of fracture in MS. Time-dependent adjustments were made for age, history of disease, and drug use. RESULTS: During follow-up, there were 59 fractures among patients with MS (2.4%) and 227 fractures among controls (1.8%). Patients with MS had a 1.7-fold increased risk of osteoporotic fracture (HR 1.73 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18-2.53]) and a 4-fold increased risk of hip fracture (HR 4.08 [95% CI 2.21-7.56]). The risk of osteoporotic fracture was significantly greater for patients with MS who had been prescribed antidepressants (HR 3.25 [95% CI 1.77-5.97]) or hypnotics/anxiolytics (HR 3.40 [95% CI 2.06-5.63]) in the previous 6 months, compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Increased awareness of the risk of hip fracture is warranted in patients with MS, especially in those who have recently been prescribed antidepressants or hypnotics/anxiolytics. PMID:22592374

The abstract from PubMed (May 18, 2012) can be seen Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register....

[renee]

Oh, GREAT.

Better informed than not.

-r 8>}

[nuthatch]

Is this study saying that the use antidepressants makes ones bones more brittle? Bad drugs?
Of course people with MS are more likely to fall and possibly fracture something. After all, we don't roll (or fall, for that matter) like we once did.
Or are they implying that perhaps antidepressants make one more carefree, and hence careless?

AHHH . . . studies . . . such a wonderful way to make a living!
Gotta love the conclusions . . . DUH !!!!

[agate]

nuthatch, they're not saying anything about antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. They're just saying that they found a connection between the use of them and the number of fractures in people with MS. This might mean that people who have recently had these drugs prescribed tend to be more frail than those who haven't. Or it might mean that there's something going on chemically--the drugs might have a way of acting on our bodies that hasn't been discovered yet.

At least that's how I read it. Since it was a fairly large study, involving 2,415 people, it might turn out to have some significance.

[Frog42]

It might but then again it might not? Sheesh, reading that article alone is depressing!

[agate]

Correlation doesn't imply causation--I think I've probably garbled that saying but I've heard something like that. Studies can find correlations, but there have to be more studies before the reason can be found. Or maybe there's no reason. It might just be coincidence.

Still, it's nice to know they're working on the MS problem. Or at least I think it's nice to know.

[SalpalSally]

These kinds of expensive studies, just to keep our scientists busily employed, make me ill..grrrrr. I've had MS for over 40 yrs and on ADs for at least 15 yrs. If I didn't break anything, when I fell in the garage in Nov (and didn't), then my bones are not brittle or even close to brittle.

MS weakens us and so we don't get the proper exercise to keep our bones and muscles strong. We don't eat properly or get enough minerals and vitamins to protect our bones. These things along with heredity and lifestyle heighthen our chances for Osteo.

And of course, a bunch of MS Peeps are on ADs (go figure), so, if we have MS and have Osteo. and take ADs, then it must be the ADs, right? Rediculous. So all this expensive study did was to lead to more expensive studies.

Find us a cure or helpful meds, you IDIOTS..


Sorry Agate, thank you for reporting the study.


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