Generic versions of Risperdal (risperidone) tablets have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric conditions.
“This generic drug approval is another example of the FDA’s efforts to increase access to safe and effective generic drugs as soon as the law permits,” said Gary Buehler, director of the FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Varying strengths of risperidone tablets, manufactured by TEVA Pharmaceuticals USA, have been approved.
The labeling of the generic risperidone may differ from that of Risperdal because some uses of the drug are protected by patents and exclusivity.
READ MORE @ PSYCHCENTRAL
Monday, August 4, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
From Prevention to Preemption: A Paradigm Shift in Psychiatry
Universal prevention has been a focus of psychiatric research for the past 4 decades. Using a public health approach, research has shown that mitigating major risk factors, such as poverty and early life stress, and promoting protective factors can improve behavioral outcomes. In other areas of medicine, we have observed how similar preventive approaches have reduced deaths from cancer and infectious disease. By contrast, while reducing environmental stress and providing better maternal support improve general behavioral outcomes (by preventing the development of antisocial behavior, for example), there are few, if any, examples of preventive approaches in psychiatry that reduce either the morbidity or the mortality of our most disabling illnesses—such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.1,2
What can be done to improve the impact of preventive interventions in psychiatry? Do we have effective pre- ventions that are not being implemented? Or do we need new approaches
to reduce morbidity and mortality? While we certainly can do much more to implement what we already know, it may soon be time for us to consider a shift from universal prevention provided in the broad population to “preemptive” approaches. Preemptive interventions target those at greatest risk for mental illness and those with subdiagnostic signs or symptoms, and they provide what previously has been labeled “selective” and “indicated” prevention.3
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC TIMES
What can be done to improve the impact of preventive interventions in psychiatry? Do we have effective pre- ventions that are not being implemented? Or do we need new approaches
to reduce morbidity and mortality? While we certainly can do much more to implement what we already know, it may soon be time for us to consider a shift from universal prevention provided in the broad population to “preemptive” approaches. Preemptive interventions target those at greatest risk for mental illness and those with subdiagnostic signs or symptoms, and they provide what previously has been labeled “selective” and “indicated” prevention.3
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC TIMES
Saturday, August 2, 2008
How Antidepressants And Cocaine Interact With Brain Cell Targets
In a first, scientists from Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University Medical Center have described the specifics of how brain cells process antidepressant drugs, cocaine and amphetamines.
These novel findings could prove useful in the development of more targeted medication therapies for a host of psychiatric diseases, most notably in the area of addiction.
Their breakthrough research, featured as the cover story in a recent issue of Molecular Cell, describes the precise molecular and biochemical structure of drug targets known as neurotransmitter-sodium symporters (NSSs), and how cells use them to enable neural signaling in the brain. A second study, published in the latest issue of Nature Neuroscience, pinpoints where the drug molecules bind in the neurotransmitter transporter — their target in the human nervous system.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
These novel findings could prove useful in the development of more targeted medication therapies for a host of psychiatric diseases, most notably in the area of addiction.
Their breakthrough research, featured as the cover story in a recent issue of Molecular Cell, describes the precise molecular and biochemical structure of drug targets known as neurotransmitter-sodium symporters (NSSs), and how cells use them to enable neural signaling in the brain. A second study, published in the latest issue of Nature Neuroscience, pinpoints where the drug molecules bind in the neurotransmitter transporter — their target in the human nervous system.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
Friday, August 1, 2008
Schizophrenia Ties to Random DNA Mutations Bolstered in Study
Spontaneous defects in DNA may trigger schizophrenia, according to research that bolsters results of smaller studies aimed at finding the genetic causes of the disabling mental disorder.
In the largest study of its kind, international research teams found evidence that schizophrenia can be caused when genes are duplicated or deleted in an often random process that isn't inherited from parents, according to reports published today in the journals Nature and Nature Genetics. Scientists found that people with schizophrenia are more than 10 times as likely to have these rare chromosomal alterations as people who don't have the illness.
While the findings fill in parts of the puzzle of the disease, they also suggest it may be caused by a complex set of genetic flaws, which could complicate the search for effective treatments.
READ MORE @ BLOOMBERG
In the largest study of its kind, international research teams found evidence that schizophrenia can be caused when genes are duplicated or deleted in an often random process that isn't inherited from parents, according to reports published today in the journals Nature and Nature Genetics. Scientists found that people with schizophrenia are more than 10 times as likely to have these rare chromosomal alterations as people who don't have the illness.
While the findings fill in parts of the puzzle of the disease, they also suggest it may be caused by a complex set of genetic flaws, which could complicate the search for effective treatments.
READ MORE @ BLOOMBERG
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Gene-Hunters Find Hope and Hurdles in Schizophrenia Studies
Two groups of researchers hunting for schizophrenia genes on a larger scale than ever before have found new genetic variants that point toward a different understanding of the disease.
The variants discovered by the two groups, one led by Dr. Kari Stefansson of Decode Genetics in Iceland and the other by Dr. Pamela Sklar of Massachusetts General Hospital, are rare. They substantially increase the risk of schizophrenia but account for a tiny fraction of the total number of cases.
This finding, coupled with the general lack of success so far in finding common variants for schizophrenia, raises the possibility that the genetic component of the disease is due to a large number of variants, each of which is very rare, rather than to a handful of common variants.
“What is beginning to emerge is that a lot of the risk of brain diseases is conferred by rare deletions,” Dr. Stefansson said. The three variants discovered by his group and Dr. Sklar’s involve the deletion of large sections of DNA from specific sites in a patient’s genome.
READ MORE @ NY TIMES
The variants discovered by the two groups, one led by Dr. Kari Stefansson of Decode Genetics in Iceland and the other by Dr. Pamela Sklar of Massachusetts General Hospital, are rare. They substantially increase the risk of schizophrenia but account for a tiny fraction of the total number of cases.
This finding, coupled with the general lack of success so far in finding common variants for schizophrenia, raises the possibility that the genetic component of the disease is due to a large number of variants, each of which is very rare, rather than to a handful of common variants.
“What is beginning to emerge is that a lot of the risk of brain diseases is conferred by rare deletions,” Dr. Stefansson said. The three variants discovered by his group and Dr. Sklar’s involve the deletion of large sections of DNA from specific sites in a patient’s genome.
READ MORE @ NY TIMES
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Lilly May Need Stronger U.S. Warning on Zyprexa Label (Update4)
Eli Lilly & Co.'s current label warning on health risks linked to its antipsychotic Zyprexa may not be strong enough, according to court documents.
Lilly added a warning to its packaging in October 2007 saying that more than half of patients in 13 studies gained an average of 12 pounds after taking the drug for less than a year. It also says Zyprexa is more ``associated'' with higher blood- sugar levels -- a risk factor for diabetes -- than similar medications.
The warning, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, may need to be adjusted to link Zyprexa more directly to higher blood sugar and diabetes, according to a letter to the Indianapolis-based drugmaker from the agency. The document was produced for a lawsuit by the state of Alaska claiming the company withheld information on risks of Zyprexa, Lilly's top-selling drug with sales of $4.76 billion last year.
``We anticipate that additional labeling changes will be necessary when we have reviewed the results of the additional analyses that we have requested,'' FDA administrator Tom Laughren wrote to Lilly in an Aug. 28 letter.
READ MORE @ BLOOMBERG
Lilly added a warning to its packaging in October 2007 saying that more than half of patients in 13 studies gained an average of 12 pounds after taking the drug for less than a year. It also says Zyprexa is more ``associated'' with higher blood- sugar levels -- a risk factor for diabetes -- than similar medications.
The warning, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, may need to be adjusted to link Zyprexa more directly to higher blood sugar and diabetes, according to a letter to the Indianapolis-based drugmaker from the agency. The document was produced for a lawsuit by the state of Alaska claiming the company withheld information on risks of Zyprexa, Lilly's top-selling drug with sales of $4.76 billion last year.
``We anticipate that additional labeling changes will be necessary when we have reviewed the results of the additional analyses that we have requested,'' FDA administrator Tom Laughren wrote to Lilly in an Aug. 28 letter.
READ MORE @ BLOOMBERG
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Could Viagra Be an Antidote for Women's Sexual Dysfunction?
Antidepressants can disrupt a woman's sex life. New research suggests Viagra could counteract that
Viagra might be more than a man's drug after all. Four years after Pfizer abandoned trials seeking FDA approval of its use as a potential treatment for female sexual arousal disorder, new research suggests that the diamond-shaped pill may help some women overcome sexual side effects caused by antidepressants.
READ MORE @ U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
Viagra might be more than a man's drug after all. Four years after Pfizer abandoned trials seeking FDA approval of its use as a potential treatment for female sexual arousal disorder, new research suggests that the diamond-shaped pill may help some women overcome sexual side effects caused by antidepressants.
READ MORE @ U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
Monday, July 28, 2008
Certain Antipsychotics Increase Metabolic, Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Some atypical antipsychotics may be more likely than others to cause metabolic and cardiovascular side effects, according to a study published in the August 2008 issue of Schizophrenia Research.
The study was based on recent data from the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) study.
Jonathan Meyer, MD, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, and colleagues compared baseline data with those collected 3 months later from 281 CATIE participants who were randomly assigned to treatment with 1 of 5 antipsychotics -- olanzapine, risperidone, ziprasidone, quetiapine, or perphenazine.
READ MORE @ DOCTOR'S GUIDE
The study was based on recent data from the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) study.
Jonathan Meyer, MD, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, and colleagues compared baseline data with those collected 3 months later from 281 CATIE participants who were randomly assigned to treatment with 1 of 5 antipsychotics -- olanzapine, risperidone, ziprasidone, quetiapine, or perphenazine.
READ MORE @ DOCTOR'S GUIDE
Sunday, July 27, 2008
ADHD children have greater risk of being overweight
Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for being overweight, regardless of whether or not they are currently receiving medications for the condition.
The results of prior research has suggested that the impulsivity and poor behavioral regulation that is common in children with ADHD may promote certain eating patterns that increase the risk of obesity, co-authors Molly E. Waring and Dr. Kate L. Lapane, from Brown Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island, note.
To investigate further, the researchers analyzed data from 62,887 children and adolescents included in the 2003-2004 National Survey of Children's Health.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
The results of prior research has suggested that the impulsivity and poor behavioral regulation that is common in children with ADHD may promote certain eating patterns that increase the risk of obesity, co-authors Molly E. Waring and Dr. Kate L. Lapane, from Brown Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island, note.
To investigate further, the researchers analyzed data from 62,887 children and adolescents included in the 2003-2004 National Survey of Children's Health.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Depression abates with constant electrical stimulation, study finds
Of 20 patients with chronic major depression resistant to drugs, a dozen were helped by stimulation in a part of the brain believed to regulate sadness.
People with otherwise untreatable depression improved in a small clinical trial after receiving continuous electrical stimulation of a part of the brain that scientists believe regulates sadness.
A report this week in the journal Biological Psychiatry said 12 of 20 patients with chronic major depression benefited from the electronic device. For seven of the 12, the disease went into remission. The benefits were sustained over the course of the one-year study, researchers said.
"These were patients at the end of the road. They had tried other treatments and nothing seemed to stick," said University of Toronto neurosurgeon Andres M. Lozano, who led the study.
READ MORE @ LOS ANGELES TIMES
People with otherwise untreatable depression improved in a small clinical trial after receiving continuous electrical stimulation of a part of the brain that scientists believe regulates sadness.
A report this week in the journal Biological Psychiatry said 12 of 20 patients with chronic major depression benefited from the electronic device. For seven of the 12, the disease went into remission. The benefits were sustained over the course of the one-year study, researchers said.
"These were patients at the end of the road. They had tried other treatments and nothing seemed to stick," said University of Toronto neurosurgeon Andres M. Lozano, who led the study.
READ MORE @ LOS ANGELES TIMES
Friday, July 25, 2008
Grassley Vows to Pressure NIH Over Grants
The ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee wants the National Institutes of Health to revoke grants to academic scientists who fail to report financial conflicts of interest to their institutions, the Iowa Senator tells The Chronicle of Higher Education.
His remarks come after targeting Harvard University, Stanford University and the University of Cincinnati, because some academics underreported their own financial interests in research projects supported by the NIH. Institutions are required by federal regulation to report the existence of those conflicts to the agency. Grassley is seeking info from 20 other institutions about financial conflicts among their scientists, including Brown University’s Martin Keller, and the American Psychiatric Association.
Since 1995, an NIH regulation has required scientists to report to their universities any “significant financial interests” they hold in research projects financed by the agency. Those are defined as income or equity interest of $10,000 from a company or 5-percent ownership of its stock. The universities, in turn, are required to tell the NIH whether they were able to manage or eliminate the conflicts in order to avoid bias in the research findings, the paper notes.
READ MORE @ PHARMALOT
His remarks come after targeting Harvard University, Stanford University and the University of Cincinnati, because some academics underreported their own financial interests in research projects supported by the NIH. Institutions are required by federal regulation to report the existence of those conflicts to the agency. Grassley is seeking info from 20 other institutions about financial conflicts among their scientists, including Brown University’s Martin Keller, and the American Psychiatric Association.
Since 1995, an NIH regulation has required scientists to report to their universities any “significant financial interests” they hold in research projects financed by the agency. Those are defined as income or equity interest of $10,000 from a company or 5-percent ownership of its stock. The universities, in turn, are required to tell the NIH whether they were able to manage or eliminate the conflicts in order to avoid bias in the research findings, the paper notes.
READ MORE @ PHARMALOT
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Herbal Remedy No Better Than Placebo in Treating ADHD
Parents of children and adolescents with ADHD should give their offspring physician-prescribed treatments rather than herbal remedies, according to the results of a new placebo-controlled trial.
One popular botanical compound is no more effective than placebo for treating symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents, according to a report in the June 11 Journal of the American Medical Association.
Some parents have attempted to treat their children and adolescents with the herbal remedy because of the side effects associated with stimulant medications or because stimulants have not been effective in reducing the symptoms associated with ADHD in their offspring, stated the report.
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC NEWS
One popular botanical compound is no more effective than placebo for treating symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents, according to a report in the June 11 Journal of the American Medical Association.
Some parents have attempted to treat their children and adolescents with the herbal remedy because of the side effects associated with stimulant medications or because stimulants have not been effective in reducing the symptoms associated with ADHD in their offspring, stated the report.
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC NEWS
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Nine out of 10 people with mental illness suffer discrimination, says report
Nine out of 10 people with mental health problems do not go out or apply for jobs due to the stigma associated with their condition, a report said today.
They feel most discriminated against by their family (36%), followed by their employers (35%), neighbours (31%) and friends (25%), according to the survey by the mental health charity Rethink.
The groups most likely to be accepting are children, teachers, shopkeepers and public transport workers.
The results of the survey, which consulted more than 3,000 people in England, have been released ahead of an £18m mental health anti-stigma campaign that will be launched across the UK in January.
Paul Corry, Rethink's director of public affairs, said: "Our research clearly shows that stigma and discrimination are ruining people's lives. People with mental health problems have enough on their plates without facing additional pressure caused by other people's archaic and bigoted opinions.
READ MORE @ THE GUARDIAN
They feel most discriminated against by their family (36%), followed by their employers (35%), neighbours (31%) and friends (25%), according to the survey by the mental health charity Rethink.
The groups most likely to be accepting are children, teachers, shopkeepers and public transport workers.
The results of the survey, which consulted more than 3,000 people in England, have been released ahead of an £18m mental health anti-stigma campaign that will be launched across the UK in January.
Paul Corry, Rethink's director of public affairs, said: "Our research clearly shows that stigma and discrimination are ruining people's lives. People with mental health problems have enough on their plates without facing additional pressure caused by other people's archaic and bigoted opinions.
READ MORE @ THE GUARDIAN
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Mental Health Costs to Drop After Override of Medicare Veto - Medicare patients' copays for psychiatric care will fall from 50% to 20% by 2014
There's some little-noticed good news for patients in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 that became law with Congress's override of President Bush's veto on Tuesday: Medicare beneficiaries in need of mental health services will soon face lower coinsurance payments and will have improved access to certain medications.
"We're going to save lives with this bill," says Nada Stotland, president of the American Psychiatric Association. The new law reduces the out-of-pocket cost for outpatient mental health services from the current 50 percent coinsurance payment to a 20 percent copay—matching the copay required for other types of medical care—by the year 2014. The reduction in beneficiaries' out-of-pocket costs will be phased in. Medicare recipients will continue to pay a 50 percent copay until 2010; in 2010 and 2011, they'll pay 45 percent; in 2012, 40 percent; in 2013, 35 percent; and in 2014, they'll have a 20 percent copay.
READ MORE @ U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
"We're going to save lives with this bill," says Nada Stotland, president of the American Psychiatric Association. The new law reduces the out-of-pocket cost for outpatient mental health services from the current 50 percent coinsurance payment to a 20 percent copay—matching the copay required for other types of medical care—by the year 2014. The reduction in beneficiaries' out-of-pocket costs will be phased in. Medicare recipients will continue to pay a 50 percent copay until 2010; in 2010 and 2011, they'll pay 45 percent; in 2012, 40 percent; in 2013, 35 percent; and in 2014, they'll have a 20 percent copay.
READ MORE @ U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
Monday, July 21, 2008
Treating Depression Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease
Patients suffering from major depression are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, but treating these patients with medication can greatly reduce the risk, according to new findings by researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The results of their study are published in the July 16 issue of the journal PLoS ONE.
The researchers specifically studied the stress-hemoconcentration, which is a blood chemistry work-up that includes a blood cell count, hematocrit values, hemoglobin, total serum protein, and albumin. The stress-hemoconcentration increases during psychological stress, such as that caused by depression, and the increase is a risk factor for heart disease.
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
The researchers specifically studied the stress-hemoconcentration, which is a blood chemistry work-up that includes a blood cell count, hematocrit values, hemoglobin, total serum protein, and albumin. The stress-hemoconcentration increases during psychological stress, such as that caused by depression, and the increase is a risk factor for heart disease.
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Partially Shared Genetic Profile Between Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorder
Both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can be disabling conditions, and both present clinically with significant mood and psychotic symptoms. These two illnesses also share genetic variants that might be involved in the predisposition to both disorders.
A new study sought to analyze the patterns of gene expression in the brains of individuals diagnosed with one of these disorders to search for a common "characteristic [genetic] signature."
Using microarray gene expression, Drs. Ling Shao and Marquis Vawter tested whether there was a core set of genes shared in the predisposition or long term consequences of both illnesses. The researchers found 78 dysregulated genes, representing genes involved in nervous system development and cell death, which displayed differential expression compared to control subjects.
As Dr. Vawter further explains, "the pattern of dysregulation was similar in the prefrontal cortex for both illnesses and pointed to key processes. Part of the set of core genes could be explained by medication responses; however most of these core genes did not appear to be correlated to medication response."
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
A new study sought to analyze the patterns of gene expression in the brains of individuals diagnosed with one of these disorders to search for a common "characteristic [genetic] signature."
Using microarray gene expression, Drs. Ling Shao and Marquis Vawter tested whether there was a core set of genes shared in the predisposition or long term consequences of both illnesses. The researchers found 78 dysregulated genes, representing genes involved in nervous system development and cell death, which displayed differential expression compared to control subjects.
As Dr. Vawter further explains, "the pattern of dysregulation was similar in the prefrontal cortex for both illnesses and pointed to key processes. Part of the set of core genes could be explained by medication responses; however most of these core genes did not appear to be correlated to medication response."
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
Saturday, July 19, 2008
FDA Extends Black-Box Warning to All Antipsychotics
New studies and label warnings about the risks of all antipsychotics have not made clinical decisions any easier for physicians, patients, and caregivers.
Three years after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instituted a black-box warning for all second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) medications about increased risk of death in elderly dementia patients, a similar warning is being added to the labels of first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) such as haloperidol and perphenazine.
The FDA announced its decision in mid-June after reviewing two epidemiological studies, both conducted in Canada, that were published in 2007. The two studies found mortality rates in elderly patients taking FGAs to be comparable to or higher than the rates in patients taking SGAs.
In a study by Sebastian Schneeweiss, M.D., and colleagues, the mortality hazard ratio in the FGA-treated elderly patients was 1.47 times that of SGA-treated patients within 180 days after starting the antipsychotic prescription. Included in this study were more than 37,000 people in British Columbia aged 65 and older who were started on antipsychotic medications. About one-third of these patients received FGA prescriptions, and the rest were given the newer SGAs. The study was published in the February 2007 Canadian Medical Association Journal.
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC NEWS
Three years after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instituted a black-box warning for all second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) medications about increased risk of death in elderly dementia patients, a similar warning is being added to the labels of first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) such as haloperidol and perphenazine.
The FDA announced its decision in mid-June after reviewing two epidemiological studies, both conducted in Canada, that were published in 2007. The two studies found mortality rates in elderly patients taking FGAs to be comparable to or higher than the rates in patients taking SGAs.
In a study by Sebastian Schneeweiss, M.D., and colleagues, the mortality hazard ratio in the FGA-treated elderly patients was 1.47 times that of SGA-treated patients within 180 days after starting the antipsychotic prescription. Included in this study were more than 37,000 people in British Columbia aged 65 and older who were started on antipsychotic medications. About one-third of these patients received FGA prescriptions, and the rest were given the newer SGAs. The study was published in the February 2007 Canadian Medical Association Journal.
READ MORE @ PSYCHIATRIC NEWS
Friday, July 18, 2008
Antidepressants linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Long-term users of so-called tricyclic antidepressants are at increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), new research confirms.
"We previously reported an increased incidence of NHL among long-term users of tricyclic antidepressant medication in a population-based cohort of more than 30,000 users of antidepressant medications," Dr. Susanne Oksbjerg Dalton, of the Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, and colleagues point out.
Another population-based study did not confirm these findings, but "it did suggest a possible excess of NHL with tricyclic antidepressant medication among the long-term users," they also note.
In the July issue of Epidemiology, Dalton's group reports an update of their population-based cohort, increasing the sample size to the entire population of 354,551 adults in North Jutland County. Between 1989 and 2003, the researchers compared the incidence of NHL among antidepressant users and nonusers.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
"We previously reported an increased incidence of NHL among long-term users of tricyclic antidepressant medication in a population-based cohort of more than 30,000 users of antidepressant medications," Dr. Susanne Oksbjerg Dalton, of the Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, and colleagues point out.
Another population-based study did not confirm these findings, but "it did suggest a possible excess of NHL with tricyclic antidepressant medication among the long-term users," they also note.
In the July issue of Epidemiology, Dalton's group reports an update of their population-based cohort, increasing the sample size to the entire population of 354,551 adults in North Jutland County. Between 1989 and 2003, the researchers compared the incidence of NHL among antidepressant users and nonusers.
READ MORE @ REUTERS
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Depression And Antidepressants Increase Risk Of Falling In Later Life
Depression And Antidepressants Increase Risk Of Falling In Later Life
Older people have a high risk for falls and the ensuing injuries. This risk, according to an article released on June 17, 2008 in the open-access journal PLoS ONE, is increased by the presence of depression, and increased even more with medication for depression.
Falls are a common problem in seniors, who often have impaired reflexes and strength. As depression is diagnosed, these same patients are often administered medication, including Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which form the most commonly prescribed family of antidepressants.
According to the published article, depression has been previously correlated with falls: "People with depression and those taking antidepressants, especially SSRIs, are 50% more likely to fall than other older people," said lead author and associate professor Ngaire Kerse. He additionally pointed out the importance of falls in caring for the elderly, as they are "very common and risk factors for falls are easy to identify. "
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
Older people have a high risk for falls and the ensuing injuries. This risk, according to an article released on June 17, 2008 in the open-access journal PLoS ONE, is increased by the presence of depression, and increased even more with medication for depression.
Falls are a common problem in seniors, who often have impaired reflexes and strength. As depression is diagnosed, these same patients are often administered medication, including Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which form the most commonly prescribed family of antidepressants.
According to the published article, depression has been previously correlated with falls: "People with depression and those taking antidepressants, especially SSRIs, are 50% more likely to fall than other older people," said lead author and associate professor Ngaire Kerse. He additionally pointed out the importance of falls in caring for the elderly, as they are "very common and risk factors for falls are easy to identify. "
READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
New Study Replicates Association Between Genetic Variation And Antidepressant Treatment Response
Pharmacogenetics, the study of genetic variation that influences an individual's response to drugs, is an important and growing focus in all of medical research, including psychiatry. It is a complex field, however, revealed by the lack of consistent and replicable findings across multiple studies, but some encouraging results are beginning to emerge.
A new study evaluated genetic markers in the treatment response of antidepressants and this work implicates the same markers as found in a prior trial.
Lekman and colleagues, using clinical data and DNA samples from the largest depression treatment study to date, the STAR*D study, compared individual treatment response (the reduction or remission of depressive symptoms) to individual genotypes. The researchers found that certain markers, or variations, in the FKBP5 gene are associated with treatment response to citalopram, a widely used antidepressant drug. In other words, patients with a particular genotype tended to respond better to the antidepressant treatment than others.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
A new study evaluated genetic markers in the treatment response of antidepressants and this work implicates the same markers as found in a prior trial.
Lekman and colleagues, using clinical data and DNA samples from the largest depression treatment study to date, the STAR*D study, compared individual treatment response (the reduction or remission of depressive symptoms) to individual genotypes. The researchers found that certain markers, or variations, in the FKBP5 gene are associated with treatment response to citalopram, a widely used antidepressant drug. In other words, patients with a particular genotype tended to respond better to the antidepressant treatment than others.
READ MORE @ SCIENCE DAILY
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