Key result
Therapeutic doses of tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants significantly increased heart rate and PR interval at 3 weeks, with heart rate elevation persisting at 13 months.
Why the study?
Do therapeutic doses of tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants affect cardiovascular parameters in patients?
Observational (n=66)
Do therapeutic doses of tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants affect cardiovascular parameters in patients?
p-value: p=<.02
Therapeutic doses of tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants cause transient ECG changes and a decrease in myocardial contractility, with only elevated heart rate persisting at 13 months.
Cardiovascular effects of therapeutic doses of tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants (TCA) were examined in 66 patients. After three weeks of therapy, heart rate and PR interval were increased (P<.02,P<.05), while prolongation of the QTctime and the QRS interval did not reach significant levels. We observed significant flattening of T waves (P<.05), which was not associated with changes in the serum potassium level. These changes were reversible after treatment was discontinued. When therapy was maintained for 13 months, only the heart rate continued to be increased, whereas all other ECG values had returned to normal. The TCA therapy led to a significant prolongation of the preejection period (P<.01) and slight shortening of the left ventricular ejection time, indicating a decrease in myocardial contractility. There was no difference of effects on the values studied between tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants. (JAMA239:213-216, 1978)
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D. Burckhardt (1978) reported an observational. Tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants was evaluated on Heart rate and PR interval (p=<.02). Therapeutic doses of tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants significantly increased heart rate and PR interval at 3 weeks, with heart rate elevation persisting at 13 months.
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