Adult females with clinical depression are 29% more likely to suffer a stroke than other women of the same age without depression, according to an article published in the journal Stroke. The authors, from Harvard Medical School added that there is a 39% higher risk for those on SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Examples of SSRIs include Prozac, Celexa and Zoloft.

The investigators performed a six-year follow-up in the Nurses’ Health Study, which included 80,574 females aged from 54 to 79 years. The study spanned from 2000 to 2006. None of the women had a history of stroke.

Dr. Kathryn Rexrode, a senior author, explained that the usage of anti-depressant medications could be an indication of the severity of depression.

Rexrode wrote:

‘I don’t think the medications themselves are the primary cause of the risk. This study does not suggest that people should stop their medications to reduce the risk of stroke.’

The investigators assessed depressive symptoms on various occasions. They used a Mental Health Index. Starting in 1996, patient anti-depressant usage was reported every two years. Physician diagnosed depression reporting began in 2000.

For this study, depression was defined as either being currently diagnosed with the disorder or having a history […]