Document Detail


Cardiovascular side effects of long-term therapy with tricyclic antidepressants in the aged.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  429744     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
In a study to determine the nature and frequency of cardiac side effects during long-term administration of tricyclic antidepressant drugs in usual dosages in the aged, 32 geriatric patients were followed for an average of 36.6 weeks. Ten of them received amitriptyline in a daily dosage of 20-75 mg for 53 weeks (average); in 2, electrocardiographic side effects developed, viz, inversion of the T waves or evidence of acute coronary insufficiency. Imipramine was administered to 21 patients in a daily dosage of 20-100 mg (average, 66 mg) over a period of 40 weeks; in 3 instances major side effects developed--intermittent left bundle-branch block, acute coronary insufficiency with node dysfunction, or T-wave inversion with sinus tachycardia; in 1 instance there was a minor side effect, viz, tachycardia only. In 1 patient, acute myocardial infarction developed after two 10-mg doses of nortriptyline. Five of the 7 patients with cardiac side effects had prior organic heart disease. It was concluded that the incidence of cardiac side effects in aged persons given tricyclic antidepressant drugs in the usual therapeutic dosages for a prolonged period is great enough to warrant frequent careful monitoring of cardiac status during therapy.
Authors:
M Rodstein; L S Oei
Related Documents :
6509544 - Complete heart block during cardiac catheterization in a normal individual.
8633814 - Transcatheter modification of the atrioventricular node in dogs, using radiofrequency e...
1122774 - Electrocardiographic observations in bradycardia and tachycardia-dependent atrioventric...
6191294 - Horizontal and longitudinal dissociation of the a-v node during atrial tachycardia.
16846424 - Double supply to left anterior descending artery by additional saphenous vein graft in ...
22944624 - Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: severe structural alterations are asso...
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society     Volume:  27     ISSN:  0002-8614     ISO Abbreviation:  J Am Geriatr Soc     Publication Date:  1979 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1979-06-29     Completed Date:  1979-06-29     Revised Date:  2008-03-10    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7503062     Medline TA:  J Am Geriatr Soc     Country:  UNITED STATES    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  231-4     Citation Subset:  IM    
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Aged
Amitriptyline / adverse effects
Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / adverse effects*
Arrhythmias, Cardiac / chemically induced
Cardiovascular System / drug effects*
Electrocardiography
Female
Heart Block / chemically induced
Heart Failure / chemically induced
Humans
Imipramine / adverse effects
Male
Myocardial Infarction / chemically induced
Nortriptyline / adverse effects
Thiothixene / adverse effects
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; 50-48-6/Amitriptyline; 50-49-7/Imipramine; 5591-45-7/Thiothixene; 72-69-5/Nortriptyline

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Prosopo-affective agnosia as a symptom of cerebral organic disease.
Next Document:  Degradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in aerobic and anaerobic soil.