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Cited by 68Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchTreatment of Major DepressionPharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes

Antidepressant use in the elderly is associated with an increased risk of dementia

Open access
Wang, Chenkun, Gao, Sujuan, Hendrie, Hugh C., Kesterson, Joe, Campbell, Noll L., Shekhar, Anantha, Callahan, Christopher M.·2016·Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders
DOI 10.1097/wad.0000000000000103PMC PMC4760914
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Abstract

A retrospective cohort study was conducted including 3688 patients age 60 years or older without dementia enrolled in a depression screening study in primary care clinics. Information on antidepressant use and incident dementia during follow-up was retrieved from electronic medical records. The Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare the risk for incident dementia among 5 participant groups: selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) only, non-SSRI only (non-SSRI), mixed group of SSRI and non-SSRI, not on antidepressants but depressed, and not on antidepressants and not depressed. SSRI and non-SSRI users had significantly higher dementia risk than the nondepressed nonusers (hazard ratio [HR]=1.83, P=0.0025 for SSRI users and HR=1.50, P=0.004 for non-SSRI users). In addition, SSRIs users had significantly higher dementia risk than non-users with severe depression (HR=2.26, P=0.0005). Future research is needed to confirm our results in other populations and to explore potential mechanism underlying the observed association.

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  • Long-term effects of antidepressants remain uncertain because short-term follow-up in clinical trials generally precludes investigation of chronic use and long-term adverse outcomes.

    “Despite the frequent prescription of antidepressants, their long-term effects remain uncertain, as short-term follow-up in clinical trials generally precludes the investigation of chronic use and longterm adverse outcomes. 8”

    From Antidepressant use in relation to dementia risk, cognitive decline, and brain atrophy (2024) · cites this paper as [8]

    The Introduction says antidepressant trials involving older adults often last only weeks or months, and that little is known about long-term outcomes of use in elderly people with intact cognition. This supports the concern about short trials, but the cited paper frames the uncertainty around older adults and dementia risk, rather than long-term adverse outcomes across all antidepressant users. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Other studies did link antidepressant use to increased dementia risk.

    “In contrast, other studies did link antidepressant use to increased dementia risk. 4,8-14”

    From Antidepressant use in relation to dementia risk, cognitive decline, and brain atrophy (2024) · cites this paper as [8]

  • Prior cohort studies on antidepressant use and dementia risk have produced contrasting results.

    “Long-term observational data are needed, but cohort studies to date have produced contrasting results. While various studies observed increased risk of dementia in antidepressant users, 4,8-14 several others did not. 15-19”

    From Antidepressant use in relation to dementia risk, cognitive decline, and brain atrophy (2024) · cites this paper as [8]

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Sorted by citations

Authors
Wang, C., Gao, S., Hendrie, H. C., Kesterson, J., Campbell, N. L., Shekhar, A., & Callahan, C. M.
Affiliations
  • Indiana University (US)
  • Indiana University Indianapolis (US)
  • Regenstrief Institute (US)
  • Psychiatry
Corresponding author
  • Wang, Chenkun
  • Gao, Sujuan
ORCID
Venue
Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2016-04
Volume
30
Issue
2
Pages
99-104
ISSN
0893-0341 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1097/wad.0000000000000103
PMC
PMC4760914
OpenAlex
W2323745265
Cited by
68
References
8
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 1
FWCI
2.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • IUScholarWorks (Indiana University) (submittedVersion)
  • Purdue University Indianapolis (Indiana University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (UL1TR001108)
  • National Institute on Aging (K23AG044440, P30AG010133, K24AG024078, R01AG019181)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R24MH080827)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
Keywords
antidepressants, dementia risk, older adults, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, depression, incident dementia, primary care
MeSH terms
Aged, Antidepressive Agents, Dementia, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Mass Screening, Retrospective Studies, Risk Factors, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

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