SSRIs and SNRIs Cut 1 Gut Bacterium in 924 Depression Patients
Updated
Updated · Medscape · Jul 29
SSRIs and SNRIs Cut 1 Gut Bacterium in 924 Depression Patients
1 articles · Updated · Medscape · Jul 29
Summary
A meta-analysis of 924 major depressive disorder patients linked SSRI/SNRI treatment—not depression alone—to lower levels of Clostridium sensu stricto 1, a gut bacterium.
The finding came from two cross-sectional cohorts in Germany and the Netherlands spanning 1,802 people, with fecal 16S rRNA sequencing used to compare medicated, unmedicated, and control groups.
Nine microbial genera were tied to MDD in one cohort, but only Clostridium sensu stricto 1 showed a significant negative association with SSRI/SNRI use across both cohorts.
Other psychotropic drugs did not show the same association, and the lower Clostridium levels seen in MDD versus controls were largely driven by SSRI/SNRI treatment status.
The authors said the results could help separate medication effects from disease-related microbiome changes, though the study could not track timing, symptoms, or drug-specific effects.