{
  "id": 6290703,
  "title": "Antidepressants show wide variation in physical side effects",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/antidepressants-show-wide-variation-in-physical-side-effects",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-08T15:00:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/antidepressants-show-wide-variation-in-physical-side-effects/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Different antidepressants can have dramatically varied physical side effects, according to a new analysis of medical research. Certain drugs can lead to significant weight gain or loss, while others may cause heart rate fluctuations. The study, published in The Lancet, involved over 58,000 participants and analyzed 30 antidepressants prescribed for acute psychiatric treatment. The research, led by Toby Pillinger and Atheeshaan Arumuham of King’s College London, aimed to compare the physical impacts of various antidepressants and investigate factors like age or starting weight that might influence these effects. The analysis revealed that medications such as agomelatine induced the most weight loss, averaging a 2.4-kilogram reduction in body weight. Conversely, maprotiline and amitriptyline were associated with the most weight gain, averaging a 1.8-kilogram increase. This resulted in a notable 4-kilogram difference between the highest and lowest weight-altering antidepressants. The study also found that cardiovascular effects varied widely, with nortriptyline increasing patients' heart rates by nearly 14 beats per minute and fluvoxamine lowering them by about 8 beats per minute—resulting in a 21-beat-per-minute gap. Similarly, blood pressure effects differed, with amitriptyline raising systolic blood pressure by nearly 5 millimeters of mercury and nortriptyline lowering it by over 6 millimeters of mercury. The researchers noted that these cardiovascular changes could potentially impact long-term heart disease risk, particularly if the alterations persisted over time. Additionally, certain antidepressants were linked to metabolic changes, such as increased total cholesterol and blood glucose levels, despite inducing weight loss in patients. Some drugs, like duloxetine, were associated with elevated liver enzyme levels, which, while measurable, did not pose immediate medical concerns for most patients. The study also examined how patient characteristics influenced these side effects. It found that individuals with higher starting body weights experienced larger increases in blood pressure and liver enzymes, while older populations saw greater increases in blood sugar levels. The researchers concluded that while most antidepressants did not significantly alter heart rhythm intervals or sodium and potassium levels, the specific physical effects varied widely among different medications, emphasizing the importance of discussing potential physical changes with patients before starting treatment.",
  "summary": "A new analysis of clinical trials reveals that different antidepressants have vastly different impacts on bodily functions, driving major shifts in body weight, heart rate, and blood pressure during treatment.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}