Zoloft, Lexapro the Best of Newer Antidepressants
Sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro) are the best of 12 new-generation antidepressants, while reboxetine is the least effective, a new analysis shows. The Italian researchers reviewed 117 studies that included more than 25,000 patients with major depression to come to this conclusion. The drugs tested in the trials were bupropion (Wellbutrin/Zyban), citalopram (Celexa), duloxetine (Cymbalta),... Read more
With Depression, Vets Face Higher Suicide Risk
About a third of the veterans treated in Veterans Affairs hospitals suffer from depression, putting them at much greater risk of suicide than non-depressed veterans, University of Michigan researchers report. But is that risk greater at certain times, and might it be related to their use of antidepressants, the researchers wondered? Their five-year study of veterans with depression revealed a spike... Read more
Depression may underlie “transmission” of poverty
Children from poor families are more likely than their peers to be depressed as teenagers, with effects that can ultimately make it harder to climb out from poverty, a new study suggests. The study, which followed nearly 500 Iowa families for a decade, found that children in poorer families were at greater risk of depression symptoms by adolescence. These teenagers, in turn, were more likely to “grow... Read more
Traumatic Brain Injuries Linked to Long-Term Health Issues for Iraq Vets
A new report provides evidence linking traumatic brain injury sustained by troops in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan to a variety of long-term health problems including dementia, aggression, depression and symptoms similar to those seen in Parkinson’s disease. But the Institute of Medicine committee charged with developing the report also pointed to a troubling lack of scientific data on such... Read more
Depression’s Behavior Changes Linked to Heart Risks
Negative changes in health behaviors are a major reason why heart patients with depression have an increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, say U.S. researchers who followed 1,017 outpatients with stable coronary heart disease for an average of 4.8 years. Depression has long been recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in healthy people and for recurrent events in... Read more
2nd Generation Antidepressants Prove Effective
Second generation antidepressants are all equally effective, according to a new clinical practice guideline released by the American College of Physicians. The guideline authors reviewed more than 200 published studies about the benefits and risks of the following second generation drugs: bupropion, citalopram, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, mirtazapine, nefazodone, paroxetine,... Read more