Cor Vasa 2025, 67(4):443-448 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2025.022

Effects of psychotropic medications on electrocardiography

Cenk Conkbayir^{a, b}, Abidin Akbirgün^b, Ersan Berksel^c, Didem Melis Oztas^d, Burak Onal^e, Murat Ugurlucan^d, Ayse Ulgen^{f, g}, Evren Hincal^h

^a Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus

^b Baris Neurological and Mental Health Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus

^c Internal Medicine Department, Final University, Nicosia, Cyprus

^d Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Biruni University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

^e Department of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Biruni University, Istanbul, Turkey

^f Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Girne American University, Karmi, Cyprus

^g Department of Mathematics, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom

^h Department of Mathematics, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus

Background and aim: In recent years number of psychiatric patients has increased and psychotropic medications are becoming mostly used drugs. These drugs may affect cardiovascular system and we can check side effects with electrocardiography (ECG). In this study we aimed to analyse psychiatric medications' side effects on ECG. Objective and methods: Eighty-five patients included in this study have psychiatric diagnosis and have used psychoactive medications. Forty-five of these patients are male and 40 of them are female. Age varies from 23 to 94 years. ECG has been taken from the patients and PR duration, QRS duration, and corrected QT measured from each ECG. Twenty-two kinds of drugs (Akineton, Haldol, Zyprexia, Prolixin, Dogmatil, Risperdal, Diazem, Artane, Tegretol, Sulpirid, Cipram, Seroquel, Depaqin, Stelazin, Anafranil, Rivotril, Clopiksol, Largactil, Melleril, Epanutin, Nurodol, Desyrel) were analyzed statistically and PR duration, QRS duration, and cQT checked if there is an association with these drugs.

Results: All statistical analysis was performed with the IBM SPSS software package (version 24.0, IBM, Armong, NY, USA) at the 95% confidence interval level and p <0.05 level="" of="" significance="" quantitative="" variables="" were="" analyzed="" by="" friedman="" analysis="" for="" dependent="" group="" moreover="" the="" independent="" groups="" compared="" with="" mann-whitney="" u="" test="" in="" this="" study="" univariate="" analyses="" we="" found="" that="" haldol="" epanutin="" and="" nurodol="" may="" cause="" long="" pr="" risperdal="" seroquel="" clopiksol="" qrs="" duration="" depakin="" stelazin="" melleril="" qt="" on="" other="" hand="" multivariate="" tegretol="" is="" associated="" at="" a="" 0="" 05="" i="">p = 0.044). Diazem is effective for increasing the PR duration at a level of significance of 0.05 (p = 0.037) and Desyrel is effective for increasing the QTC time at a significance level of 0.05 (p = 0.023).

Conclusion: In this study we showed that among psychoactive medications, Nurodol is the most related drug that affects ECG and may cause long PR, long QRS duration and long QT. So while using psychiatric tablets physicians, nurses, families should be aware of cardiovascular side effects and regular ECG controls should be checked.

Keywords: ECG, Long QT, PR distance, Psychiatric drugs, QRS distance,

Received: December 18, 2024; Revised: January 29, 2025; Accepted: February 7, 2025; Prepublished online: June 2, 2012; Published: October 6, 2025  Show citation