A Harvard study has found that it’s antidepressants that make you fatter.

antidepressants They are currently one of the most commonly prescribed medications. However, in addition to the benefits they can bring to those suffering from depression, these drugs have a number of side effects. A very common side effect is weight gain.

A study conducted by Harvard Pilgrim Health Institute (US) identified the antidepressants most associated with weight gain. The study used data 183 118 adultsamong 18 and 80 years oldwho began using antidepressants for the first time. Each participant was administered one of eight commonly prescribed antidepressants. The goal was to collect data at intervals of 6, 12 and 24 months.

Among the drugs studied were sertraline, citalopram, bupropion, escitalopram, fluoxetine, venlafaxine, paroxetine and duloxetine. Researchers observed different results regarding weight gain for each class of antidepressants.

“Patients and their doctors often have several options when they first start taking antidepressants. This study provides important real-world data on how much weight gain to expect after starting some of the most common antidepressants,” he explained. Joshua Petimarone of those responsible for the research.

The results of the study after some time 6 months It turned out that users escitalopram, paroxetine and duloxetine they have fifteen% the likelihood of weight gain, which is 5% more compared to sertraline.

On the other side, bupropion have fifteen% less likely to lead to an increase 5% by weight relative to sertraline. On the other hand, the use fluoxetine found no association with weight change at six months compared with sertraline.

“Our study found that some antidepressants, such as bupropion, cause less weight gain than others. Patients and their doctors may view weight gain as a reason to choose a medication that better suits their needs,” he explained. Jason BlockAn internal medicine specialist and associate professor of community medicine at Harvard Medical School, he works at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Institute.

Thus, antidepressants who show a greater tendency to gain weight, according to this study, escitalopram, paroxetine and duloxetineIn contrast, sertraline, which is a selective reuptake inhibitor, serotonin (SSRIs), the most widely used type of antidepressant, stands out as the best in this category. The antidepressant with the least observed weight gain was bupropion.