Abstract

Growing evidence has revealed a significant link between depression and diabetes, making it necessary to assess the glucose dysregulation that might have resulted due to individual antidepressant therapy in depressive patients, especially in patients with co-exiting diabetes. Although randomized, controlled trials are lacking and the underlying mechanism is poorly understood, the results from case reports and clinical observations have provided some clues as to how antidepressants possibly interfere in glucose metabolism. Escitalopram, fluoxetine and milnacipran may improve metabolic parameters while duloxetine, sertraline, mirtazapine, fluvoxamine and paroxetine may induce hyperglycaemia in some cases and worsen glucose control in depressed patients with diabetes; much less is known about the effects of some newer antidepressants such as, nefazodone, agomelatine and reboxetine on blood glucose levels. This review aimed to describe existing evidence of metabolic profiles involving glucose homeostasis following antidepressant therapy.