Differences in Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in Non-Hispanic White Males Taking or Not Taking SSRIs as a Function of Genotytpea,b
aThe figure illustrates differences in BMD in non-Hispanic white males with the ll (n = 29), ls (N = 40), and ss (n = 23) 5-HTTLPR genotypes depending on SSRI treatment status (n = 51 taking SSRIs vs n = 41 not taking SSRIs).
bPost hoc analyses testing for effect of SSRIs within genotypes showed that, among carriers of the ls genotype, those who took SSRIs (n = 22) had lower areal BMD z score at the lumber spine compared to those who did not take SSRIs (n = 19) (adjusted mean areal BMD = −0.17 [SE = 0.18] vs 0.51 [SE = 0.21], P < .02). A comparable pattern was found in trabecular volumetric BMD (vBMD) at the ultradistal radius, although the difference did not reach statistical significance (n = 17 vs n = 16, adjusted mean vBMD = 199.5 [SE = 9.3] vs 235.6 [SE = 9.6], P < .008).
Abbreviations: 5-HTTLPR = serotonin transporter–linked polymorphic region, l = long allele, s = short allele, SSRI = selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.