To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Study Links Popular Cardiovascular Drugs To Suicide URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/60296.htm Doctor's Guide March 6, 1998
LONDON, ENGLAND -- March 6, 1998 -- In a study including 152 Swedish municipalities (total population of 7.3 million), Dr. Anne Melander, professor of pharmacoepidemiology, Swedish Network for Pharmacoepidemiology Foundation, Malm University Hospital in Sweden, and colleagues investigated possible associations between the use of cardiovascular drugs and suicide and the results of this study are published in this week's British Medical Journal. The authors found a significant correlation between the use of calcium channel blockers and the incidence of suicide (that remained significant when differences in cardiovascular morbidity were considered). Furthermore, in a five year study of drugs for high blood pressure, the authors found a five-fold increase in the incidence of suicide in users of calcium channel blockers compared with users of other antihypertensives. Among the Swedish municipalities the use of each cardiovascular drug group except angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors correlated significantly and positively with suicide rates. After adjustment for the use of other cardiovascular drug groups, as a substitute for the prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity, only the correlation with calcium channel blockers remained significant. In the cohort study, five users and four non-users of calcium channel blockers committed suicide during the follow up until the end of 1994. The absolute risk associated with use of calcium channel blockers was 1.1 suicides per 1,000 person years. The relative risk, adjusted for differences in age and sex, among users versus non-users was 5.4. The researchers conclude that calcium channel blockers should be considered a possible cause of depression and suicide. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.