Prozac 'may cut heart risk'

Prozac is the best known SSRI

A common type of anti-depressant - of which Prozac is a prime example - may help to reduce the risk of heart attacks.

Scientists discovered the effect while carrying out research primarily designed to assess the value of nicotine patches in preventing heart attacks.

As part of their work, they also examined the impact of a class of anti-depressant drug known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on people who smoke.

We think there is something unique about SSRIs above and beyond the treatment of depression

Dr Stephen Kimmel

The researchers compared 653 smokers who had received hospital care for a first heart attack, with 2,990 smokers with no history of heart disease.

Of the people who took part in the study, 143 were taking SSRIs.

It was found that these people were 65% less likely to have had a heart attack.

Blood clots

The researchers say further work is required to determined whether there is simply a beneficial effect from treating depression, or whether SSRIs have a pharmacological effect which contributes to the reduced risk.

However, they believe that SSRIs may protect the heart in the same way that aspirin does - by reducing the risk of blood clots.

Blood clots form when disc-shaped particles in the blood called platelets clump together.

SSRIs appear to make these platelets less sticky.

Lead researcher Dr Stephen Kimmel, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, said: "We think there is something unique about SSRIs above and beyond the treatment of depression."

Dr Colin Lewis, a GP in Guildford who has a special interest in cardiology, told BBC News Online: "This is a very interesting finding which could be quite significant.

"Many observations have led to a new use for drugs that were initially developed to treat something completely different."

Large number

A British Heart Foundation spokesperson said: "Statistics show that a number of psychosocial illnesses, including depression, may increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

"As 18% of women and 13% of men report high levels of depression in the UK a large number of people are potentially at higher risk from CHD.

"This study therefore, comes as good news for people taking SSRI anti depressants, if it means that their treatment could decrease the risk of CHD.

"More studies are needed to confirm these findings and also to look at the effects of other anti-depressants on the heart, as not all have been found to have a beneficial effect."

Previous research has shown that using another class of anti-depressants, such as the tricylic anti-depressants, in patients with heart problems might be harmful, causing abnormal heart rhythms and more heart attacks.

The SSRIs in the study included fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft).

The research is published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.