The efficacy, safety and tolerability of antidepressants in late life depression: a meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
To determine the efficacy, safety and tolerability of antidepressants in depressed elderly patients.


METHODS
Search for randomized controlled double-blind studies evaluating atypical antidepressants (ATYPs), reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase-A, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants in moderate/severe depressed patients > or = 60 years for > or = four weeks. The random effects model (single-arm; comparative) was used to aggregate efficacy, safety and dropout.


RESULTS
No difference in single-arm aggregation of outcomes for four antidepressant classes. Comparative analyses showed no statistical difference between outcomes, except SSRIs had a higher response rate than ATYPs.


CONCLUSIONS
Elderly show no differences in antidepressant class outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Heterogeneity and lack of power.


CONCLUSIONS
There is little advantage for antidepressant classes over another in the aged.
Mittmann
N
N
Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, University of Toronto, Canada.
Herrmann
N
N
Einarson
T R
TR
Busto
U E
UE
Lanctôt
K L
KL
Liu
B A
BA
Shulman
K I
KI
Silver
I L
IL
Narango
C A
CA
Shear
N H
NH
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D010919:Placebos; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D010919:Placebos; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors