effects of citalopram on blood pressure control in depressive patients with hypertension: a randomized clinical trial

Introduction: since there is a bi‐directional interaction between hypertension and depression, we aimed to evaluate the effects of citalopram administration in the management of hypertension. methods: a randomized clinical trial was conducted on 72 patients with concomitant depression and hypertension. the intervention group (n=41) received citalopram 20 mg daily plus anti-hypertensive standard treatment, while the control group (n=31) received only the standard treatment. the study’s primary endpoint was in-office blood pressure (bp) measurement at baseline and home bp monitoring in the first and second months after entering the study. results: there were no significant differences in baseline systolic bp (163.3±19.6 vs.164.2±20.3 mm hg; p=0.910) and diastolic bp (94.5±13.8 vs. 88.2±14.4; p=0.071). after one month, diastolic bp (82.7±11.7 vs. 77.09±12.2; p=0.023) was significantly higher in the control group compared to the intervention group. two months after the intervention, systolic bp (133.8±16.5 vs. 124.5±12.4; p=0.009) and diastolic bp (80.7±10.3 vs. 73.7±9.7; p=0.002) were significantly decreased in the intervention group compared to the control group. conclusion: this study supported the beneficial effects of citalopram in lowering bp in patients with concomitant depression and hypertension.