title: The efficacy, safety and tolerability of antidepressants in late life depression: a meta-analysis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, University of Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mittmann
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Einarson
authors.forename: U E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Busto
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lanctôt
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: K I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Silver
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Narango
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Shear
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D010919:Placebos; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors