A recent study has found a concerning link between the use of antidepressants (AD) and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), particularly for those with prolonged use of the medication. The study was presented at the European Society of Cardiology's EHRA 2025 congress and conducted by scientists in Denmark.
Sudden cardiac death is defined as an unexpected fatality due to a heart-related issue which usually occurs within one hour of the onset of symptoms or within 24 hours in cases that are unwitnessed.
For the recent study, the researchers examined deaths among residents aged 18 to 90 years in 2010 and reviewed death certificates and autopsy reports.
The study found that people exposed to antidepressant medications had a significantly higher incidence of sudden cardiac death compared to those not using such medications.
The cohort of 643,999 individuals who had been prescribed antidepressants was compared with the general population which had 4.3 million residents. Among those exposed to antidepressants, 1,981 cases of sudden cardiac death were recorded, compared to 4,021 in the unexposed group.
The risk of SCD was higher across all age groups for those who had been on antidepressants, with notable differences depending on the length of exposure.
When the data was adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidities, individuals who had used antidepressants for 1 to 5 years were found to have a 56 per cent higher risk of sudden cardiac death compared to the general population.
Those who had used the medications for six or more years faced a 2.2 times higher risk.
The study further revealed that younger individuals were more significantly affected by longer antidepressant use.
For those aged 30-39 years, the risk of sudden cardiac death was nearly three times higher with 1 to 5 years of antidepressant exposure, and up to five times higher for those using antidepressants for six or more years.
In older individuals, particularly those aged 50-59 years, the risk of sudden cardiac death doubled with 1 to 5 years of antidepressant use and increased fourfold with six or more years of exposure. However, the risk appeared to level off in people over 70 years, with a less significant difference between shorter and longer exposure periods.
