12-09-2016
The results of a Danish study that analysed archived medical records from 1997 to 2012 have recently been published. The researchers were interested in the simultaneous use of statins and SSRI drugs in the Danish population and the association of such a combination with the frequency of psychiatric hospitalisations and suicidal behaviour. The study's conclusions considered the combination of drugs from these two groups to be beneficial.
One of the lesser-known hypotheses regarding the emergence of depressive symptoms is to link its occurrence to inflammation. Previous studies show elevated levels of certain interleukins in people with depression. It was this link that inspired a team of Danish researchers to be interested in the possible SSRI-enhancing effects of statins. While statins are drugs that lower blood lipid levels, they also have direct anti-inflammatory properties.
In a group of 113,108 patients who used statins and SSRIs concurrently, there was a significantly lower risk of psychiatric hospitalisation or such hospitalisation for depression. Combining statins with SSRIs also did not significantly increase all-cause mortality or the frequency of suicidal behaviour. The most commonly used combination was citalopram and simvastatin, and the researchers recommend the use of this combination in a randomised controlled trial, which should be conducted to definitively prove the clinical advantage of using such a drug combination over the use of SSRIs in monotherapy.
The researchers also warn that some SSRIs may impair the metabolism of statins in the liver, thereby increasing their blood concentrations and the risk of complications such as muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis). They also recommend caution in the use of lowastatin in combination with SSRIs due to a potential increase in patient mortality.
