Sunday, September 18, 2011

Depression may increase stroke risk in women

Depression may boost women's risk of stroke, according to a new study.
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Among study participants, those who'd had depression were 29 percent more likely to suffer a stroke over a six-year period.
And women who took an anti-depressant medication — especially a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) — had a 39 percent increased risk of stroke, the study said. Examples of these drugs include Prozac, Zoloft and Celexa.
The researchers said they do not think anti-depressants cause the increased stroke risk; rather, the connection exists because those who take these medications may have more severe depression, said study researcher Dr. Kathryn Rexrode, an associate physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.....
http://on.today.com/qVQBah

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