MALIBU, Calif., April 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Cliffside Malibu,
one of America’s leading drug and alcohol treatment centers, is
strongly urging its patients who are currently taking
antidepressants not to stop, despite a new study and subsequent
media reports that such drugs could raise the risk of heart attack
or stroke in middle-age men taking the medications. Cliffside
is using e-mail, phone calls and face-to-face therapy sessions to
encourage its patients who rely on those medications to continue
doing so under close supervision by their psychiatrists.
“While the findings of this very preliminary study are
interesting and should be taken seriously, we are strongly urging
our patients to continue using antidepressants as prescribed,” said
Cliffside Malibu CEO Richard Taite. “The immediate, serious
risks to our patients were they to abruptly halt the use of
antidepressants far outweigh potential adverse health effects.”
A presentation at a cardiology conference earlier this week
suggested antidepressants could lead to as much as a five percent
increase in the thickness of the carotid artery. The study’s
author, Dr. Amit Shah, has reportedly cautioned that the findings
of the 513-person study are not enough to warrant taking patients
off of antidepressants, and noted that depression elevates risk for
heart disease.
“The
symptoms of depression in our patients, many of whom suffer
from mood and other disorders, are often acute and even
life-threatening. We are reaching out to every current and
former patient to educate them and to ensure they make wise
decisions in partnership with their physicians,” added Taite.
About Cliffside Malibu
Cliffside Malibu is a full-service residential drug
rehab and alcohol addiction treatment center in the Los Angeles
area. At C
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