- With Mayo Clinic psychiatrist
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Dr. Daniel Hall-Flavin, board certified in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, is a St. Louis native looking to the Internet as a way to help people improve their health and be more active participants in their own health care by learning from Mayo Clinic's experts.
Dr. Hall-Flavin has been a member of the faculties of Cornell University Medical College, New York Medical College, and The George Washington University Medical School before joining the Mayo Clinic staff in 1996. He has special interests in adult psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and psychogenomics. He has served as medical director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence from 1986 to 1999.
"With the advent of the genomics and proteomics revolution and the pace of advances in medicine, informed collaborative relationships between knowledgeable, capable health professionals and informed, proactive individuals and their families are more vital than ever," he said.
"I'm optimistic that our Internet health education activities will contribute to ever-improving health outcomes for all who participate and apply what is learned."
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- see all
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Question
Antidepressant side effects: Is bone loss a concern?
Is it true that antidepressants may cause bone loss?
Answer
from Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
This may be true. Two large studies published in July 2007 suggest that older men and women who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the most common type of antidepressant medication, may have an increased risk of bone loss. Both studies were conducted on men and women age 65 and older.
An earlier study, published in January 2007, reported that people older than age 50 who took SSRIs had a higher risk of bone fractures than did those who didn't take SSRIs. However, more research is necessary to confirm the findings in all three of these studies.
Both depression and osteoporosis are common and serious problems in older adults and should be detected and treated. Mayo Clinic doctors do not recommend that people who have or are at high risk of osteoporosis stop taking antidepressants. Talk to your doctor if you are taking antidepressants and are concerned about your bone health.
You may be able to help reduce bone loss with these tips:
- Get enough calcium. Premenopausal women and postmenopausal women who use hormone therapy (HT) should consume at least 1,000 milligrams (mg) of elemental calcium every day. Postmenopausal women not using HT, anyone at risk of steroid-induced osteoporosis, and all men and women older than age 65 should aim for 1,500 mg of elemental calcium daily.
- Get enough vitamin D. Both men and women should get at least 800 international units (IU) daily.
- Exercise. Combine strength-building and weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, stair climbing and skipping rope, for the best effect.
- Add soy to your diet. The plant estrogens in soy help maintain bone density and may reduce the risk of fractures.
- Don't smoke. Smoking increases bone loss.
- Avoid excess alcohol. Consuming more than two alcoholic drinks a day may decrease bone formation and reduce your body's ability to absorb calcium.
- Consider hormone therapy. HT can reduce a woman's risk of osteoporosis during and after menopause. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of HT for menopausal women.
