Long-Term ECG Changes in Depressed Elderly Patients Treated With Nortriptyline: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Evaluation

ECGs of 50 patients who completed a long-term nortriptyline (NT) study are presented at baseline, after 7 weeks on NT, and after 1 year. The ECGs of patients with preexisting cardiac disease were compared with non-cardiac patients. Significant ECG changes and increases in heart rate were observed by Week 7 and persisted at a mean of 55 weeks (range: 24–111) in patients who were continued on NT. No significant difference was found in long-term ECG effects in patients with preexisting cardiac disease; ECG changes reverted to baseline when placebo was substituted. Patients with known cardiac disease did not show significantly worse ECG changes on NT than non-cardiac patients.