New research is comparing the weight changes of patients taking different types of antidepressants, one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the U.S.
NEW YORK — New research is comparing the weight changes of patients taking different types of antidepressants, one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States.
The study, published on Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, analyzed the data of 183,118 patients across 8 U.S. health systems from 2010 to 2019. It found that some antidepressants were associated with more weight gain than others.
At six months, users of escitalopram (which is sold under the brand name Lexapro), paroxetine (Paxil) and duloxetine (Cymbalta) were 10% to 15% more likely to gain at least 5% of their baseline weight than sertraline (Zoloft) users.
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) users were 15% less likely to gain weight than sertraline (Zoloft) users, while fluoxetine (Prozac) use was not associated with a weight change.
The study’s authors describe these as …