Cardiovascular eff ects of psychotropic drugs

Research over the past decade indicates that some psychotropic drugs increase the risk of developing arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Many antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs have arrhythmogenic potential and are associated with QT interval prolongation and development of ventricular arrhythmia of the “torsades de pointes” type, while some psychotropic drugs are associated with changes in ECG phenotype of Brugada syndrome and development of polymorphic ventricular arrhythmias.