Antidepressants vary in their contribution to weight gain

(HealthDay)—Antidepressants vary modestly in the likelihood of contributing to weight gain, according to a study published in the August issue of JAMA Psychiatry.

Sarah R. Blumenthal, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues identified 22,610 adult patients of a large New England health care system who began receiving an index antidepressant prescription and had available weight data in electronic health records.

In models adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical features, the researchers observed a significantly decreased rate of weight gain in individuals treated with bupropion (P = 0.02), amitriptyline (P = 0.001), and nortriptyline (P < 0.001), compared with citalopram. Among individuals discontinuing treatment prior to 12 months, differences were smaller.

"Antidepressants differ modestly in their propensity to contribute to weight gain," the authors write. "Short-term investigations may be insufficient to characterize and differentiate this risk."

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.