Depression is a common complication among stroke victims and doctors may want to give antidepressants instantly to these victims instead of waiting that the victims develop depression or not, a new study suggests.

According to the lead authors of the study these findings have the ability to lead towards an extended use of antidepressants. It is also possible that high-risk people like stroke victims may use the drugs before becoming a victim of depression. This extended use would be similar to the use of cholesterol drugs that people have to avoid heart attack.

Low doses of the antidepressant “Lexapro” were given to some stroke patients and it was noted that there was 4.5 percent lesser risk in the patients on the drug than the patients who were getting a dummy pill.

Each year there are almost 700,000 Americans who become the victims of the stroke and almost one-third of them have depression in the next two years. According to some previous researches, stroke patients with depression have slower recovery and higher death rates.
Dr. Robert Robinson of the University of Iowa lead researcher of the study stated “I am not a patient with stroke bit if I become, I would like to be shifted on an antidepressant.
The study, based on an analysis of 176 stroke patients aged 50 to 90, is going to be published in Journal of the American Medical Association on Wednesday.

In the beginning, none was the victim of depression. Among them, one-third were examine with Lexapro, one-third with matching dummy pills and one-third talk therapy that focuses on problem-solving skills.

After one year, it was found that almost 9% of the Lexapro group had got depression while dummy pills takers had 22% and 12% among those who had talk therapy.

However, different side effects like dry mouth, dizziness, fast heart beat and some sexual problems were found in all three groups with an equal ratio.

The National Institute of Mental Health was sponsor of the research.

Related links

Antidepressants 

 antidepressants for stroke victims

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