title: Response to SSRIs and role of the hormonal therapy in post-menopausal depression.
abstract: The aim of this study is to prospectively evaluate the antidepressant response to SSRIs in depressed post-menopausal women with or without hormonal therapy (HT), and to analyze the possible influence of basal serum levels of gonadotropins and sexual hormones on the antidepressant response. 170 post-menopausal women with a depressive episode (DSM-IV criteria)--47 on HT and 123 not on HT--started the treatment with an SSRI. Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and 7 weeks thereafter by raters blind to treatment regimen. Response rates were 63.2% in the group without HT and 83.7% in the HT group (p=0.013). An inverse correlation emerged between the basal levels of LH and the improvement in HRSD scores (p=0.001) in the group without HT. In conclusion, HT appeared to improve the antidepressant response to SSRIs. Furthermore, in post-menopausal women, LH basal levels may be taken into account as possible predictor of response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Vita-Salute University San Raffaele Hospital, Via Stamira D'Ancona 20, Milan 20127, Italy. zanardi.raffaella@hsr.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zanardi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rossini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malaguti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smeraldi
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D011374:Progesterone; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors