[Cardiovascular tolerance to tianeptine].

The cardiovascular effects of tianeptine were assessed by a specific placebo-controlled trial in healthy volunteers and by heart rate, blood pressure and electrocardiogram data analyses in five studies enrolling depressed patients. In two of these studies the effects of tianeptine were compared to those of amitriptyline. The three other studies were performed as open, long-term trials (up to one-year treatment) in large populations of patients (more than 3,300 patients). The findings show that tianeptine does not modify heart rate, blood pressure, conduction or ventricular function. Tianeptine was well tolerated in depressed patients and induced no significant changes at the current dosage in treatment periods from three-months to one-year even in elderly patients, patients with cardiovascular abnormalities or alcoholic patients. Fewer cases of orthostatic hypotension were observed than with other antidepressants. Suicide attempts with tianeptine overdosage did not lead to death due to cardiovascular complications.