Aripiprazole-induced Asymptomatic Hypertension: A Case Report.

Aripiprazole is a second generation antipsychotic widely prescribed for the treatment of psychiatric diseases. It is generally known that antipsychotics have hypotensive effects. In this case report, however, we present the case of a medically healthy patient with schizophrenia who developed hypertension (HT) after the initiation of aripiprazole. The patient's blood pressure returned to normal after discontinuation of aripiprazole, suggesting that aripiprazole may have led to asymptomatic acute HT.

Antidepressants and menstruation disorders in women: a cross-sectional study in three centers.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between menstruation disorders and antidepressant drugs usage in women remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the incidence rate of antidepressant-related menstruation disorders and to examine whether or not antidepressant use is associated with menstrual disorders in women. METHODS: The study sample was gathered from three centers and four hospitals. A total of 1432 women who met the criteria of inclusion were included in the study. The sample was divided into two groups: the antidepressant group (n=793) and the control group (n=639). The menstruation disorders were established with reports from the study participants on the basis of related gynecological descriptions. RESULTS: The prevalence of menstrual disorders was significantly higher in the antidepressant group (24.6%) than the control group (12.2%). The incidence of antidepressant-induced menstruation disorder was 14.5%. The antidepressants most associated with menstrual disorders were paroxetine, venlafaxine, sertraline and their combination with mirtazapine. Overall, the incidence rate was similar in women receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that menstruation disorders are frequently observed in women taking antidepressants and that it appears to be associated with antidepressant use at least in some women.

Quality of life in postmenopausal women: the impact of depressive and anxiety disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric symptoms are frequently present in postmenopausal women. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of depressive and anxiety disorders on the quality of life (QoL) of postmenopausal women. METHOD: The study sample consisted of 342 postmenopausal women who presented to the Gynecology Outpatient Clinic. The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition was used to determine depressive and anxiety disorders. The participants' QoL level was assessed by means of the World Health Organization QoL Assessment-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF). RESULTS: Subjects without a diagnosis of depressive or anxiety disorder had significantly higher points in all domains of WHOQOL-BREF. According to linear regression analysis, all evaluated disorders except social phobia and specific phobia were independently associated with lower scores for at least one dimension of the QoL scale. However, major depression, dysthymic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder predicted all domains of WHOQOL-BREF. CONCLUSION: Depressive and anxiety disorders, particularly major depression, dysthymic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, seem to be considerable factors affecting the QoL in postmenopausal women.