A new study suggest that women in their menopausal stage who are taking common anti-depressants have more risks of getting their bones fractured, NzHerald reported.

Like Us on Facebook

According to Medical News Today about 76 percent risk of broken bones even after many years of taking the drugs, women aged from 40 to 64 are feared to have thinner bones, rather than stronger ones. As a result, doctors are now being urged to lessen the prescription.

This information is based on statistical research done by staff from Northeastern University in Boston, which was published from The BMJ, Injury Prevention. There, researchers analysed data of approximately 370,000 American menopausal women from the PharMetrics Claims Database, which was further concentrated and trimmed down to 137,031 women who are reported to have no mental health issues.

The samples the researched focused on were taking SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, including Prozac, paroxetine hydrochloride, hyrdrobromide, citalopram, oxalate, fluvoxamine, and sertraline hydrochloride between 1998 and 2010.

However, the statistical research only showed the rates, not the actual cause and effect, which can be further investigated by medical studies.

Every year, thousands of women who are at their menopausal stage are prescribed antidepressants in order to cope with various symptoms, such as hot flushes, night sweats, and bowel syndrome. In fact, SSRIs are now the third most frequently prescribed forms of medication in the US.

Antidepressants are more commonly prescribed rather than its alternative, HRT, or hormone replacement therapy. HRTs are often avoided because of they can magnify the risk of heart diseases.

However, gynaecologist Professor John Studd publicly states that the problem that menopausal women are facing is more on hormonal fluctuations, which can be better treated by HRT than anti-depressants, The Telegraph reported.

One of his patients, Ursula Hirschkorn published an article in The Telegraph narrating her experience.

 "Too many women like me suffer in silence, blaming their low moods and lack of sex drive on the onset of middle age, or taking antidepressants that address the symptoms of their distress but not its root cause," she wrote. "HRT is not for everyone but it has vastly improved my wellbeing and quality of life."

Furthermore, the study from Northeastern University stated that "shorter duration of treatment may decrease fracture risk," and that more research should be conducted in order to find out if smaller doses can help patients lessen the risk of weaker bones.

TagsHealth news, menopause, women, Women's Health, antidepressants, hrt