Bupropion Antidepressant Leads to Less Weight Gain

A new research has recently revealed that people who use bupropion are 15-20% less likely to gain significant weight as compared to those who use sertraline. It is the most common first-line antidepressant. Antidepressants are widely prescribed in the United States. Almost 14% of adults use them. But they show some common side effects such as weight gain. It also affects a person’s long-term metabolic health. Hence, they need to stop the treatment and it increases the risk of many health complications. 

This study was recently published in Annals of Internal Medicine. In this study, researchers used prescription data from eight U.S. health systems. They studied the use of antidepressants in adults aged between 18 and 80. They used electronic health records of 183,118 new users of antidepressants. Randomized control trials are the best and most effective way to compare medications. But they are usually expensive and take a long time. Hence the researchers created a hypothetical trial and matched the data to it. Researchers observed the weight of individuals who started taking eight common antidepressants such as sertraline, citalopram, paroxetine, bupropion, duloxetine, venlafaxine, fluoxetine and escitalopram.  

When researchers observed the collected data, they found that bupropion users gained less weight than users of other antidepressants. They were 15-20% less likely to gain a significant amount of weight as compared to those taking sertraline. The researchers found that gaining 5% or more weight is important. They also discovered that many patients were taking a medication that caused more weight gain compared to other similar medications. 

Sertraline, escitalopram and paroxetine are some common antidepressants. But escitalopram and paroxetine increase the risk of weight gain by 15%.  

Researchers of this study have found that bupropion antidepressant does not increase the risk of weight gain. Healthcare professionals should prescribe it to those who are at a higher risk of weight gain. This study will help healthcare professionals to prescribe the right antidepressants for the treatment. Hence this can effectively reduce the risk of weight gain.