The recent study – part of the CoMorMent initiative – provides new evidence for body composition measurements as an important tool for examining adverse treatment effects associated with the use of antidepressants
LINKÖPING, Sweden--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#AMRAMedical--AMRA Medical, in conjunction with collaborators at the University of Oslo, have recently published the results of a study that examines the relationship that antidepressants (ADs), particularly serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), have with muscle health and cardiometabolic risk profiles. As part of the CoMorMent project, a Horizon 2020-funded research initiative that aims to explore how and why mental health interacts with cardiovascular disease, the study comes at a crucial time as antidepressant usage globally continues to increase. As a result, new methods of determining the extent to which antidepressants affect general well-being become front-of-mind for drug developers and clinicians, given the increased predisposition to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and poor impact on metabolic health that AD users often experience.
The study assessed 1224 SSRI and 568 TCA users from the UK Biobank database to investigate deviations from expected fat distribution and muscle composition following treatment with ADs, and explored increased risks of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or Type II Diabetes (T2D). Results showed that SSRI users had more visceral fat, smaller muscle volume, and higher muscle fat infiltration compared with matched control individuals. Female users showed a larger increase in BMI over time compared with male users. However, male users displayed a more unhealthy body composition profile, and had an increased risk of developing CVD compared to their female counterparts. TCA users also displayed a more adverse muscle composition than the control individuals, and both males and females showed an increased risk of developing T2D.
AMRA Medical’s unique muscle volume and fat z-scores allow investigators to describe treatment effects by examining deviations from expected values for muscle composition and fat distribution that are not apparent when using traditional measures such as body weight and BMI. These z-scores have enabled previous studies on how pharmacological interventions in metabolic disease impose targeted, personalized effects on individuals, giving rise to subject-specific biomarkers that may aid in understanding treatment effects during the development of metabolic drugs.
This study has demonstrated that the use of personalized z-score biomarkers is also important in assessing individual treatment responses to increasingly popular ADs, and suggests that body fat distribution and especially muscle composition is important to consider when developing new AD treatments - an angle that has not been considered when designing AD therapies today. AMRA hopes that the validation of these z-score biomarkers in an AD-treated population serves as the foundation for subsequent studies that will improve mental and cardiometabolic health for AD users, and ultimately, their quality-of-life.
AMRA is committed to applying the unique z-score methodology across metabolic and neuromuscular disease areas, now including neuropsychiatric drugs with metabolic effects such as ADs, in order to aid in the development of targeted, safe, and efficacious treatments. With AMRA, researchers can augment clinical trials with powerful endpoints to gain more holistic insights and, ultimately, advance their clinical pipeline. If you want to learn more about how AMRA’s research solutions can help power your next clinical trials, visit our website or get in touch with our knowledgeable scientists at info@amramedical.com.
You can read the full study, selected as “Editor’s Choice” in Obesity, here, and read the accompanying commentary here. Learn more about the CoMorMent initiative here. AMRA will also be showcasing this work and more at Obesity Week 2024 in San Antonio, Texas next month.
About AMRA Medical
AMRA Medical is a health informatics and precision medicine company that is pioneering body composition analysis, providing cutting-edge solutions to advance both clinical research and patient care initiatives. AMRA’s gold-standard technology delivers multiple fat and muscle biomarkers - derived simply from rapid whole-body MRI scans. AMRA is committed to driving transformative care and simplifying vital decision-making in both research and clinical care settings by offering support services via their innovative platform.
Learn more about AMRA Medical’s MRI-based solutions at https://amramedical.com/solutions, or connect with our team of experts for a detailed discussion at info@amramedical.com.
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Contacts
AMRA Medical
Marie Börjesson, VP Brand & Marketing
0046 70 628 1977
marie.borjesson@amramedical.com
