title: [Treating Late Life Depression with Antidepressants--A Summary of Recommendations in International Guidelines].
abstract: Late life depression is associated with severe health consequences, e.g. elevated risk of medical comorbidity and decreased quality of life. This paper summarizes the recommendations of the international guidelines on evidence-based pharmacological treatment of depression in late life in a systematic review. Pharmacological treatments for depression recommended by most of the guidelines, however, hardly address the issue of the possible side effects of antidepressants and other factors of multi-medication on the elderly. Different guidelines pay different degrees of attention to the specific group of geriatric patients. There is a lack of evidence-based treatment recommendation that takes into consideration the specific age-related issues of sensitivity to adverse effects or pharmacokinetic interaction. Further research is required to provide a database for more refined recommendations in guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Heilmann
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Institut für Sozialmedizin, Arbeitsmedizin und Public Health (ISAP), Universität Leipzig, Medizinische Fakultät, Leipzig.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Riedel-Heller
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Bonn.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Köln.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jessen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents