SSRIs and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

A new case-control study confirms that use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors increases risk for bleeding, but questions remain.

Case-control studies have suggested that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase the risk for upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), possibly by inhibiting platelet activity (JW Gastroenterol Jul 24 2009 and JW Gastroenterol Aug 15 2008).

To further evaluate this association, investigators performed a population-based, case-control study involving approximately 3600 patients with UGIB and 36,000 controls matched for age and sex. Information on patients, controls, and prescription medication use was obtained from three databases in one county in Denmark. Medication use was defined as current, recent (within 90 days of the last prescription), or past.

Among the study population, risks for UGIB were higher for current SSRI user…

Reviewing Author

David J. Bjorkman, MD, MSPH (HSA), SM (Epid.)

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

David J. Bjorkman, MD, MSPH (HSA), SM (Epid.)

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

SSRIs and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

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Reviewing Author