Does fluoxetine 20 mg daily affect blood pressure or cause sustained hypertension in depressed patients?
Short-term fluoxetine treatment is associated with a low rate of sustained hypertension and modest overall reductions in blood pressure, suggesting a favorable cardiovascular safety profile regarding blood pressure.
Recent reports of sustained hypertension in some patients receiving venlafaxine have rekindled concerns about antidepressant-induced hypertension. This study examined sitting and standing systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and rate of sustained hypertension in 796 depressed patients (mean +/- SD age, 40 +/- 11 years) taking fluoxetine 20 mg daily for up to 12 weeks. A modest reduction in sitting and standing systolic (p or = 90 mmHg and or = 3 consecutive clinic visits-a rate significantly lower than that previously reported with venlafaxine (4.8%) (chi2 = 13.3, p < 0.001) and similar to that previously seen with placebo (2.1%). In conclusion, these data demonstrate a low rate of sustained hypertension (1.7%) during short-term fluoxetine treatment.
Amsterdam et al. (Mon,) studied this question.