Increased Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels after 6 Months of Citalopram Treatment in Patients with Panic Disorder

Objective-Panic disorder is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, several studies reported increased cholesterol levels after treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Methods-We examined the serum cholesterol levels in 21 panic disorder patients before and after 24 weeks of treatment with citalopram. Results-The levels of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly increased after the treatment, whereas there were no significant changes in the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Significant weight changes were observed as well. Conclusions-Citalopram should be used with caution when panic patients have high risk of cardiovascular disorders.