Use of specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (Sertraline or Citalopram) in the treatment of depression reduces the cardiovascular risk in the elderly: evidence from a Sicilian population >80 years recovered in the assisted sanitary residences (RSA).
The correlation between depression and cardiovascular pathologies was studied in geriatric age. As a matter of fact, the high comorbidity of depression with the sudden cardiac deaths or other cardiovascular events requires a careful evaluation of these causalities. A total of 110 patients were analyzed, recovered in assisted sanitary residence (from the widely used Italian name: "residenza sanitaria assistita" abbreviated as RSA) during the last 12 months. All patients were above the age of 80 years at the admission (mean age was 83.2+/-2.8 years), and all of them have had a diagnosis of depression according to the DSM IV. All patients were treated with the antidepressive specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) (Citalopram, 20-40mg/day, or Sertraline 50-100mg/day). The patients were divided on the basis of their therapeutic response in two groups: Group A (responders) and Group B (non-responders). After 4, 6 and 12 months of treatment, we observed a reduction of the cardiovascular events (-75%, -83% and -60%, respectively). These findings confirm the existence of a correlation between the level of affectivity and the cardiac functions.
Santangelo
Antonino
A
Dipartimento Scienze della Senescenza, Urologiche e Neurourologiche, Scuola di Specializzazione in Geriatria, Universita di Catania, Via Messina 829, I-95126 Catania, Italy. ninosantangelo@virgilio.it
Testaì
Manuela
M
Barbagallo
Patrizia
P
Crisafulli
Cristiano
C
Grasso
Sebastiano
S
Manuele
Sara
S
Muscarà
Giuliana
G
Rizzotto
Maurizio
M
Tomarchio
Marcello
M
Maugeri
Domenico
D
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012306:Risk; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020280:Sertraline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology
D015283:Citalopram; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline