Does the antidepressant Zoloft cause an increase in serum cholesterol levels?
As of now, the effect on cholesterol is not of consequence when choosing an antidepressant.
According to information supplied by the manufacturer, Zoloft causes a small mean increase (about 3 percent) in serum total cholesterol and a small mean increase (about 5 percent) in triglycerides.
It also causes a small mean decrease (about 7 percent) in uric acid, the chemical involved in gout. These changes are said to be of no clinical importance.
A study involving 40 women showed that when Luvox (fluvoxamine), another selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor like Zoloft, was added to a weight-reduction program, both placebo-treated and Luvox-treated subjects lost weight.
But Luvox-treated subjects had an 11 percent decrease in cholesterol compared to 0.2 percent in placebo controls. The significance of this is unclear. More studies need to be done.