Cardiovascular effects of imipramine, fluvoxamine, and placebo in depressed outpatients.
BACKGROUND
The data presented represent cardiovascular parameters collected from one site of a larger, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week outpatient efficacy study of the serotonin uptake inhibitor fluvoxamine in depressed outpatients.


METHODS
In this smaller study, we compared fluvoxamine (N = 17) to the prototypic antidepressant, imipramine (N = 14), and to placebo (N = 15). Specific parameters investigated were drug effects on postural pulse and blood pressure changes and ECG parameters including PR, QRS, and QTc intervals and ventricular heart rate.


RESULTS
Fluvoxamine had few effects on measured parameters. Imipramine produced statistically significant changes on all measures; placebo had no effects on cardiac measures.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data support that fluvoxamine, in a sample of healthy depressed outpatients, has little effect on cardiovascular function. Further study and clinical experience with this drug will be necessary before the full extent of its cardiac profile is known.
Laird
L K
LK
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.
Lydiard
R B
RB
Morton
W A
WA
Steele
T E
TE
Kellner
C
C
Thompson
N M
NM
Ballenger
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000139:chemically induced; D007099:Imipramine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D011674:Pulse / Q000187:drug effects
D010919:Placebos; D016666:Fluvoxamine; D007099:Imipramine