Absence of cardiovascular adverse effects of sertraline in children and adolescents

Objective: In a 12 week, placebo-controlled, parallel-design, multicenter s tudy of sertraline for obsessive-compulsive disorder in 107 children and 80 adolescents, the authors prospectively assessed cardiovascular effects to doses of sertraline of less than or equal to 200 mg/day. Method: Vital sign s (blood pressure and heart rate) and electrocardiograph parameters (ECGs) were systematically evaluated at baseline and again throughout treatment. R esults: There were no clinically significant cardiovascular adverse events in any of the subjects enrolled in the study. Moreover, compared with basel ine and placebo, sertraline treatment at an average dose of 167 mg did not result in any clinically meaningful changes in any ECG indices (PR, QRS, an d QTc intervals), cardiac rhythm, blood pressure, or heart rate. Conclusion s: These prospectively derived results support the cardiovascular safety of sertraline at doses up to 200 mg in children and adolescents.