title: Treatment with antidepressants in patients with dementia--a nationwide register-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression and anxiety is prevalent among patients with dementia but the extent to which these conditions are treated with antidepressants has not previously been investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nationwide register-based data in Denmark were used to identify all patients diagnosed with dementia or osteoarthritis at hospital admission or at first outpatient contact during the period 1995-2000. Rates of subsequent purchase of antidepressants from pharmacies were then calculated. Further, the rate of antidepressant use for patients with dementia was compared with the rate in a gender-, age-, and calendar-matched sample of the general population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 24,137 patients with a main diagnosis of dementia and 100,378 patients with a main first diagnosis of osteoarthritis were incorporated in the study. A total of 43.2% of patients with dementia received antidepressants during follow-up compared to 16.0% of patients with osteoarthritis. Among patients with a diagnosis of dementia, the rate of subsequently purchasing antidepressants was 4.17 times higher (95% CI = 4.05-4.29) than that of patients with a first diagnosis of osteoarthritis, and 8.85 times higher (95% CI = 8.68-9.03) than that of a gender-, age- and calendar-matched sample of the general population. The rate was increased in all subgroups of patients regardless of gender, age, socio-economic group and time since diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings challenge the widely held contention that depression and anxiety in patients with dementia is underdiagnosed and undertreated in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark. lars.kessing@rh.dk
authors.forename: Lars Vedel
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Kessing
authors.forename: Mette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harhoff
authors.forename: Per Kragh
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D035061:Control Groups; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003718:Denmark; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000628:therapy; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012923:Social Class
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents