Association between tricyclic antidepressants and health outcomes among older people: A systematic review and meta-analysis

•Older people are widely prescribed antidepressants.•They are vulnerable to adverse health events associated with this medication.•Tricyclic antidepressants are effective drugs.•However, they cause adverse reactions associated with their anticholinergic properties.•The risks of falls and fractures a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Maturitas 2024-10, Vol.188, p.108083, Article 108083
Main Authors: Santandreu, Javier, Caballero, Francisco Félix, Gómez-Serranillos, M. Pilar, González-Burgos, Elena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Falls
Fractures
Mortality
Older people
Tricyclic antidepressants
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Summary:•Older people are widely prescribed antidepressants.•They are vulnerable to adverse health events associated with this medication.•Tricyclic antidepressants are effective drugs.•However, they cause adverse reactions associated with their anticholinergic properties.•The risks of falls and fractures are higher in older people who use these drugs. Tricyclic antidepressants are effective for managing depression and other disorders. However, they can cause adverse reactions due to their anticholinergic properties, with the risk of such events increasing with age. This study identifies and describes clinical studies that evaluate associations between the use of tricyclic antidepressants and adverse health outcomes (falls, fractures, and mortality) among older people. A systematic search of the literature in English, Spanish, and French was conducted using the electronic databases PubMed, ISI Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Cochrane. The systematic review included a total of 18 studies. The meta-analysis examined the 14 studies that investigated the association between the use of tricyclic antidepressants and the risk of falls and fractures (4 of the 18 studies focused on mortality and so were excluded from the meta-analysis). The odds ratio (OR) was 1.40 (95 % CI = 1.27–1.53, p 
ISSN:0378-5122
1873-4111
1873-4111
DOI:10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.108083