Objectives: To determine longitudinal changes in trabecular volumetric BMD (vBMD) at tibia and radius in young depressive patients under antidepressants using pQCT.
Methods: PQCT data on 26 patients (22 females, 4 males) on serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI), and 14 patients (12 females, 2 males) on non-SSRI (10 SNRI, 4 TCA) were obtained at 4% and 66% of radius and tibia at baseline and at 12-month. Depression was assessed by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at baseline and follow-up. Wilcoxon tests were performed to find longitudinal changes in bone parameters within each group, Mann-Whitney tests to detect differences between groups.
Results: The two groups were comparable with regard to age, height and BDI. None of the measured bone parameters changed in the SSRI group. In the non-SSRI group trabecular vBMD increased slightly but significantly from baseline to follow-up at radius and tibia (p<0.03). Between group differences were significant for trabecular BMD at the radius. BDI decreased significantly in both groups by the same amount.
Conclusions: Bone properties were found to be stable over 12 months under therapy with SSRIs. Whether SNRI and TCA indeed increase trabecular vBMD need to be shown in larger cohort.