Sexual dysfunction related to non-SSRI second generation antidepressants: a meta-analysis

Objective: This systematic review is aimed to quantitatively summarise the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among non-SSRI second generation antidepressants namely agomelatine, bupropion, duloxetine, venlafaxine, and mirtazapine. Methods: Relevant studies published from inception till December 2012 were identified by searching PubMed, OVID and Embase. We included all literatures encompassing randomized controlled, cohort, case-controlled and cross-sectional studies, which contained quantitative data for prevalence on all aspects of sexual dysfunction in depressive patients who were older than 18 years of age. Heterogeneity, publication bias and odds ratio were assessed thoroughly. Results: In the non-SSRI second generation antidepressant group which consisted of 17,316 subjects, various studies showed the range of sexual dysfunction prevalence between 0% and 67%. Sexual dysfunction in patients who took non-SSRI second generation antidepressants constituted a meta-analytical pooled prevalence of 15%, and 36% in those who took SSRIs. The combined relative risk of sexual dysfunction in the non-SSRI second generation antidepressant group when compared with SSRI was 0.57. Conclusions: The pooled prevalence of sexual dysfunction in non-SSRI second generation antidepressant is lower than in SSRI antidepressants