Antidepressant
Lexapro
Well-Tolerated By Seniors
new research highlights treatment
options for
depression in elderly patients
(March 3, 2003) Pooled safety data presented
today at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) annual
meeting showed that the
antidepressant Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate) was a well
tolerated treatment option for patients 60 years and older (seniors) with major depressive
disorder. Rates of discontinuation due to adverse events were low and
similar to those seen in young patients treated with Lexapro.
Clinical depression affects up to 20 percent of elderly
Americans, and it is associated with distress, disability and, in some cases,
suicide. Despite the availability of effective antidepressants, the treatment
of geriatric depression can be
complicated. Older patients often have
co-existing medical conditions for which they take multiple
medications, some of which may contribute to depression and/or interact with
certain antidepressants. Older adults also metabolize medications at a slower
rate and are more sensitive to side effects than younger patients.
Abstract of Study
Safety Experience with Escitalopram in the
Treatment of Elderly Patients With Depression
William J. Burke, MD, Tova Rothschild, PhD,
Hans de Swart, MSc
Escitalopram (Lexapro) is the therapeutically active
enantiomer of the SSRI antidepressant citalopram, with clinical features that
are attractive for use by the elderly. Escitalopram is metabolized by three
CYP450 isozymes in parallel, is neither an inducer nor an inhibitor of
cytochrome P450, has low protein binding, and therefore has a low risk of
clinically significant drug-drug interactions.
Safety data were compiled from all completed
short-term (? 8 weeks) randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of
escitalopram in major depressive disorder, and an analysis was made of all
patients aged 60 years or older who received double-blind treatment with
escitalopram (N=216) or placebo (N=214). The escitalopram dose ranged from 10
to 20 mg/day with no adjustment based on age.
A similar percentage of patients completed
double-blind escitalopram (82.4%) and placebo (88.8%) treatment. Rates of
discontinuation due to adverse events or lack of efficacy were low. No
individual adverse event occurred at a rate of 10% or greater in
escitalopram-treated elderly patients. Only two adverse events had an incidence
for escitalopram-treated patients exceeding 5% and greater than for placebo
treatment: nausea and abdominal pain.
Escitalopram is well tolerated by elderly
patients and should be considered as first-line treatment in this
population.
Supported by Forest Laboratories, Inc., and H.
Lundbeck A/S manufacturers of Lexapro
Presented at the 16th Annual Meeting of the
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, March 1-4, 2003, Honolulu,
Hawaii.
Source: Forest Laboratories,
Inc..
Other Lexapro Stories:
For comprehensive information on depression,
visit the HealthyPlace.com Depression Center. On
HealthyPlace.com Radio, we've done several shows on depression. Listen to them
in our 2002 and
2001 archives.
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