Heart Disease Health Center

Older Type of Antidepressants Found to Double Heart Attack Risk

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Richard M. Carney, PhD, professor of medical psychology at the Washington University Medical School in St. Louis, notes that a number of studies show there are heart-related side effects to tricyclics, while the SSRI profile in this respect is relatively clean.

"Generally speaking, given a choice between a [tricyclic] and an SSRI, I would opt for the SSRI," he says in an interview with WebMD. "Many patients with heart disease also do well with psychotherapy, which is another consideration that was not addressed by the article. Although it is important to express concerns about medication with their physician, this study does not give people taking a [tricyclic] any reason to panic or stop their medications."