title: Inhibition of serotonin reuptake by antidepressants and cerebral microbleeds in the general population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serotonin reuptake inhibiting antidepressants decrease platelet aggregation. This may cause an increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage. However, the risk of subclinical microbleeds, which are highly prevalent in middle-aged and elderly people, is unknown. We studied whether serotonin reuptake inhibiting antidepressants increase the frequency of cerebral microbleeds and secondarily whether they lower the presence of ischemic vascular damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within the population-based Rotterdam Study, information on antidepressant use was obtained from continuously monitored pharmacy records. Brain MRI was available in 4945 participants (55% women, mean age 64 years) between 2005 and 2011. We categorized antidepressants based on affinity for the serotonin transporter: high, intermediate, or low. Microbleeds (presence and location) and ischemic lesions (lacunes, white matter lesions) were rated on MRI. Logistic and linear regression, adjusted for age, sex, depressive symptoms, and cardiovascular risk were used to study the association of antidepressants with microbleeds and ischemic vascular lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antidepressant use with strong serotonin reuptake inhibition was not associated with microbleed presence (odds ratio compared with nonuse, 1.03; confidence interval, 0.75-1.39) irrespective of microbleed location in the brain. Exclusion of antithrombotic users or persons with cortical infarcts did not change our results. Furthermore, serotonin reuptake inhibition was not related to ischemic vascular brain damage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the general population, use of serotonin reuptake inhibiting antidepressants is not related to presence of cerebral microbleeds. This strengthens the idea that the platelet inhibitor effects of antidepressant drugs with affinity for serotonin are minimal and further supports the safety of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for nongastrointestinal bleedings.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Internal Medicine (N.A., R.N., B.H.S., L.E.V.), Department of Epidemiology (N.A., S.A., R.N., A.H., M.A.I., B.H.S., L.E.V., M.W.V.), Department of Radiology (S.A., M.A.I., M.W.V.), and Department of Neurology (S.A., M.A.I.), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Inspectorate of Health Care, The Hague, the Netherlands (B.H.S.); and Apotheek Haagse Ziekenhuizen - HAGA, The Hague, the Netherlands (L.E.V.).
authors.forename: Nikkie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aarts
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Internal Medicine (N.A., R.N., B.H.S., L.E.V.), Department of Epidemiology (N.A., S.A., R.N., A.H., M.A.I., B.H.S., L.E.V., M.W.V.), Department of Radiology (S.A., M.A.I., M.W.V.), and Department of Neurology (S.A., M.A.I.), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Inspectorate of Health Care, The Hague, the Netherlands (B.H.S.); and Apotheek Haagse Ziekenhuizen - HAGA, The Hague, the Netherlands (L.E.V.).
authors.forename: Saloua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akoudad
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Internal Medicine (N.A., R.N., B.H.S., L.E.V.), Department of Epidemiology (N.A., S.A., R.N., A.H., M.A.I., B.H.S., L.E.V., M.W.V.), Department of Radiology (S.A., M.A.I., M.W.V.), and Department of Neurology (S.A., M.A.I.), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Inspectorate of Health Care, The Hague, the Netherlands (B.H.S.); and Apotheek Haagse Ziekenhuizen - HAGA, The Hague, the Netherlands (L.E.V.).
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Noordam
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Internal Medicine (N.A., R.N., B.H.S., L.E.V.), Department of Epidemiology (N.A., S.A., R.N., A.H., M.A.I., B.H.S., L.E.V., M.W.V.), Department of Radiology (S.A., M.A.I., M.W.V.), and Department of Neurology (S.A., M.A.I.), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Inspectorate of Health Care, The Hague, the Netherlands (B.H.S.); and Apotheek Haagse Ziekenhuizen - HAGA, The Hague, the Netherlands (L.E.V.).
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Internal Medicine (N.A., R.N., B.H.S., L.E.V.), Department of Epidemiology (N.A., S.A., R.N., A.H., M.A.I., B.H.S., L.E.V., M.W.V.), Department of Radiology (S.A., M.A.I., M.W.V.), and Department of Neurology (S.A., M.A.I.), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Inspectorate of Health Care, The Hague, the Netherlands (B.H.S.); and Apotheek Haagse Ziekenhuizen - HAGA, The Hague, the Netherlands (L.E.V.).
authors.forename: M Arfan
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ikram
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Internal Medicine (N.A., R.N., B.H.S., L.E.V.), Department of Epidemiology (N.A., S.A., R.N., A.H., M.A.I., B.H.S., L.E.V., M.W.V.), Department of Radiology (S.A., M.A.I., M.W.V.), and Department of Neurology (S.A., M.A.I.), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Inspectorate of Health Care, The Hague, the Netherlands (B.H.S.); and Apotheek Haagse Ziekenhuizen - HAGA, The Hague, the Netherlands (L.E.V.). b.stricker@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Bruno H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Stricker
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Internal Medicine (N.A., R.N., B.H.S., L.E.V.), Department of Epidemiology (N.A., S.A., R.N., A.H., M.A.I., B.H.S., L.E.V., M.W.V.), Department of Radiology (S.A., M.A.I., M.W.V.), and Department of Neurology (S.A., M.A.I.), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Inspectorate of Health Care, The Hague, the Netherlands (B.H.S.); and Apotheek Haagse Ziekenhuizen - HAGA, The Hague, the Netherlands (L.E.V.).
authors.forename: Loes E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Internal Medicine (N.A., R.N., B.H.S., L.E.V.), Department of Epidemiology (N.A., S.A., R.N., A.H., M.A.I., B.H.S., L.E.V., M.W.V.), Department of Radiology (S.A., M.A.I., M.W.V.), and Department of Neurology (S.A., M.A.I.), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Inspectorate of Health Care, The Hague, the Netherlands (B.H.S.); and Apotheek Haagse Ziekenhuizen - HAGA, The Hague, the Netherlands (L.E.V.).
authors.forename: Meike W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Vernooij
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
keywords: antidepressive agents; cerebral small vessel diseases; serotonin