High BP Could Blunt the Effectiveness of Antidepressants
Metabolic syndrome (MS) in older adults with depression is associated with greater symptom severity and chronicity of depression, according to the results of a recent study.
Previous research has suggested that MS could affect the course of depression in older adults, but its effects on an individual’s response to antidepressant therapy is yet to be examined.
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The researchers conducted a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial involving 435 adults, aged 60 years or older, with major depressive disorder (MDD).
Overall, 222 (51%) of the participants met the criteria for MS at baseline. Those participants with MS had greater severity and chronicity of depression at baseline. In the unadjusted model, MS was associated with longer time to remission, but this association was no longer significant in the adjusted model. Diastolic blood pressure was a significant predictor of time to remission before and after adjustment.
“The presence of MS in older adults with depression was associated with greater symptom severity and chronicity of depression, which appears to have accounted for the poorer antidepressant response observed in those with MS. Additionally, our preliminary finding of an association between higher DBP and poorer antidepressant response bears further examination and replication,” the researchers concluded.
—Michael Potts
Reference:
Mulvahill JS, Nicol GE, Dixon D, et al. Effect of metabolic syndrome on late-life depression: associations with disease severity and treatment resistance [published online December 13, 2017]. JAGS. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15129
