[SSRI-Research] Reuters UK - Zoloft does not prevent post-stroke depression

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[sSRI-Research] Reuters UK - Zoloft does not prevent

post-stroke depression

 

 

 

 

There has been a marketing effort in the past year to prescribe

psychoactives, especially antidepressants, to

those who have suffered strokes. This effort was fueled, in part, by a

body of industry-sponsored studies, purporting

efficacy in this area. Significant in this study is the high attrition

rate. About half the subjects in this small study dropped out because

of apparent iatrogenic issues. Most important is it's lack of

effectiveness that produce positive long term outcomes.

 

Vince

 

Zoloft does not prevent post-stroke depression

Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:47 PM BST

 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In non-depressed patients who have recently

suffered a stroke, prophylactic treatment with Zoloft (also called

sertraline) does not prevent the onset of depression in the following 6

months, according to results of a study.

 

Depression after stroke is common, affecting approximately 1 in every 3

survivors, note Dr. Osvaldo P. Almeida and colleagues from the

University of Western Australia, Perth.

 

They examined whether Zoloft started within 2 weeks of a stroke and

continued for 24 weeks reduced the incidence of depression in 111

non-depressed stroke patients. Fifty-five stroke patients took Zoloft

(50 mg once daily) and 56 took a placebo.

 

The patients had a mean age of 67.5 years. Of the 111 subjects, seven

suffered hemorrhagic stroke caused by bleeding in the brain and 104

suffered ischemic stroke caused by a blockage.

 

" By the end of the 24-week trial, the proportion of participants who

were depressed was 21.6 percent (11/51) among patients assigned placebo

and 16.7 percent (8/48) among those assigned sertraline, " Dr. Almeida's

team reports.

 

Overall, 29 patients (51.8 percent) in the placebo group and 26 (47.3

percent) in the sertraline group discontinued trial medication by week

24. This was mostly due to perceived side effects or because

antidepressant medication was introduced.

 

" New pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies need to be

developed, " conclude the researchers, " to reduce the health and

financial burden associated with depression after stroke. "

 

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry July 2006.

 

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