The Impact of Antidepressants on Blood Sugar and Lipid Profiles in Diabetic Patients: A Comprehensive Review

Hazar, Narjes; Dastghaib, Sanaz; Dehlavi, Reyhane; Samimi, Fatemeh; Afkhami-Ardekani, Mohammad

doi:10.18502/ijdo.v18i1.21062

Volume 18, Issue 1 (2-2026) IJDO 2026, 18(1): 58-67 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.18502/ijdo.v18i1.21062

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Hazar N, Dastghaib S, Dehlavi R, Samimi F, Afkhami-Ardekani M. The Impact of Antidepressants on Blood Sugar and Lipid Profiles in Diabetic Patients: A Comprehensive Review. IJDO 2026; 18 (1) :58-67
URL: http://ijdo.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-1018-en.html

The Impact of Antidepressants on Blood Sugar and Lipid Profiles in Diabetic Patients: A Comprehensive Review

Narjes Hazar

, Sanaz Dastghaib

, Reyhane Dehlavi

, Fatemeh Samimi

, Mohammad Afkhami-Ardekani ^*

Diabetes Research Center, Non-Communicable Diseases Research Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

Abstract: (48 Views)

Diabetes prevalence and mortality are rising worldwide. Despite multiple treatments, optimal blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes remains challenging. This has prompted interest in whether antidepressants could influence glycemic management. However, studies examining their effects on blood glucose have reported inconsistent and sometimes conflicting results. This article will discuss the effects that different anti- depressants may have on blood sugar and lipid levels. We plan to focus chiefly on tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). To achieve the aim of the present study, we searched PubMed using separate strategies that combined Title/Abstract keywords and MeSH terms related to type 2 diabetes and different classes of antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, agomelatine, and benzodiazepines) to ensure comprehensive coverage of relevant evidence. For type 2 diabetic patients, the principal achievement was that SSRIs of all types could reduce blood sugar, and they particularly had been shown to stimulate the body’s own insulin response. Patients lost weight and blood sugar control improved with fluoxetine. The purpose of this review is to describe the existing information and also point out shortcomings in previous studies, as well as providing directions for future research on how various antidepressants affect their patients' metabolic outcomes alongside potential mental status changes. These relationships are important to understand, not only for planning effective treatments for diabetes but also in order to manage the complicated metabolic-psychiatric continuum.

Keywords: Anti-depressive agents, Blood glucose, Dyslipidemias, Diabetes mellitus

Full-Text [PDF 737 kb] (10 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2025/04/12 | Accepted: 2026/01/20 | Published: 2026/02/21

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