New Developments in Diagnosis and Therapy of Depression in Cardiovascular Disease

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
F. Lederbogen

Introduction:Repeatedly, it has been demonstrated that depression increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disorders; vice versa, in subjects with pre-existing heart disease, comorbid depression was found to predict an unfavourable cardiovascular prognosis. However, several studies failed to observe that treatment of depression positively influences cardiac risk. Therefore, focus of research has shifted to identification of subjects, who would benefit from antidepressant therapy that is tailored to their individual needs.Method:Search of literature databases, focusing latest goals and advances in diagnosis and therapy of depression in subjects with cardiovascular disease.Results and discussion:Screening cardiac patients for depression seems to result in a different population of depressed patients, as compared with most trials testing antidepressant agents. This different inclusion process obviously favoured oversampling of subjects with minor or reversible depressive syndromes such as adjustment disorders. It is known that in these conditions placebo treatment is powerful, sometimes equalling verum condition in effectiveness.This hypothesis is supported by re-analysis of former studies revealing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) to be more effective in subjects with severe or recurrent depression or in patients, in whom depression had begun prior to the onset of cardiovascular disease (e.g., myocardial infarction). Surprisingly, some data support the notion that treatment with SSRIs ameliorates cardiac prognosis irrespective of their antidepressant action. Ongoing studies deal with treatment of depression in patients with heart failure or stroke, and with psychotherapy aimed at reducing cardiac risk factors.

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bauer ◽  
Brigitta U. Monz ◽  
Angel L. Montejo ◽  
Deborah Quail ◽  
Nicolas Dantchev ◽  
...  

AbstractAntidepressant prescribing patterns and factors influencing the choice of antidepressant for the treatment of depression were examined in the Factors Influencing Depression Endpoints Research (FINDER) study, a prospective, observational study in 12 European countries of 3468 adults about to start antidepressant medication for their first episode of depression or a new episode of recurrent depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were the most commonly prescribed antidepressant (63.3% patients), followed by serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs, 13.6%), but there was considerable variation across countries. Notably, tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants (TCAs) were prescribed for 26.5% patients in Germany. The choice of the antidepressant prescribed was strongly influenced by the previous use of antidepressants, which was significantly associated with the prescription of a SSRI (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.54, 0.76), a SNRI (OR 1.49; 95% CI 1.18, 1.88) or a combination of antidepressants (OR 2.78; 95% CI 1.96, 3.96). Physician factors (age, gender, speciality) and patient factors (severity of depression, age, education, smoking, number of current physical conditions and functional syndromes) were associated with initial antidepressant choice in some models. In conclusion, the prescribing of antidepressants varies by country, and the type of antidepressant chosen is influenced by physician- as well as patient-related factors.


1994 ◽  
Vol 165 (S26) ◽  
pp. 31-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart A. Montgomery

Long-term treatment of depression encompasses two separate phases: relapse and recurrence prevention. Relapse prevention aims to consolidate the response to acute treatment. Some tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) have been shown to be effective, possibly in lower than standard acute treatment doses. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been shown to be effective at the same minimum effective doses used to treat acute depression, or in a lower dose as with citalopram. Recurrence prevention aims to reduce the risk of onset of a new episode of depression in patients with recurrent depression. Imipramine has been thoroughly studied in unipolar depressed patients in full therapeutic doses for up to five years and is clearly effective. Other TCAs have not been adequately tested and may not all be equally effective. The SSRIs fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline have also been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of new episodes of depression.


2001 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 526-539
Author(s):  
Leigh Anne Nelson ◽  
Joy R. Abu-Shanab

Evidence suggests that depression commonly occurs in patients with cardiovascular disease and is associated with a poor prognosis including increased risk of cardiac mortality. Proposed pathophysiologic mechanisms include decreased heart rate variability, altered sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, increased ventricular instability, and abnormal platelet reactivity. Other proposed mechanisms involve the interference of depression with medication adherence and cardiac risk factor reduction. Despite this evidence, depression during cardiovascular disease is commonly unrecognized and inadequately treated. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) are efficacious for treating depression in this population but cause serious cardiac side effects and should be avoided in patients with significant cardiovascular disease. More recent studies with bupropion and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline) indicate that they are acceptable alternatives to TCAs with regard to cardiac risk in depressed patients with heart disease, although larger studies are needed to validate their safety and efficacy in this special population. There are 3 studies currently being conducted to investigate the effect of antidepressant therapy and/or psychotherapy on cardiac morbidity and mortality in post–myocardial infarction patients with depression and/or low social support. These studies will hopefully answer the long-posed question of whether appropriate treatment of depression can improve cardiac prognosis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
F Kahles ◽  
R.W Mertens ◽  
M.V Rueckbeil ◽  
M.C Arrivas ◽  
J Moellmann ◽  
...  

Abstract Background GLP-1 and GLP-2 (glucagon-like peptide-1/2) are gut derived hormones that are co-secreted from intestinal L-cells in response to food intake. While GLP-1 is known to induce postprandial insulin secretion, GLP-2 enhances intestinal nutrient absorption and is clinically used for the treatment of patients with short bowel syndrome. The relevance of the GLP-2 system for cardiovascular disease is unknown. Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the predictive capacity of GLP-2 for cardiovascular prognosis in patients with myocardial infarction. Methods Total GLP-2 levels, NT-proBNP concentrations and the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score were assessed at time of admission in 918 patients with myocardial infarction, among them 597 patients with NSTEMI and 321 with STEMI. The primary composite outcome of the study was the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke (3-P-MACE) with a median follow-up of 311 days. Results Kaplan-Meier survival plots (separated by the median of GLP-2 with a cut-off value of 4.4 ng/mL) and univariable cox regression analyses found GLP-2 values to be associated with adverse outcome (logarithmized GLP-2 values HR: 2.87; 95% CI: 1.75–4.68; p<0.0001). Further adjustment for age, sex, smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, family history of cardiovascular disease, hs-Troponin T, NT-proBNP and hs-CRP levels did not affect the association of GLP-2 with poor prognosis (logarithmized GLP-2 values HR: 2.96; 95% CI: 1.38–6.34; p=0.0053). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses illustrated that GLP-2 is a strong indicator for cardiovascular events and proved to be comparable to other established risk markers (area under the curve of the combined endpoint at 6 months; GLP-2: 0.72; hs-Troponin: 0.56; NT-proBNP: 0.70; hs-CRP: 0.62). Adjustment of the GRACE risk estimate by GLP-2 increased the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for the combined triple endpoint after 6 months from 0.70 (GRACE) to 0.75 (GRACE + GLP-2) in NSTEMI patients. Addition of GLP-2 to a model containing GRACE and NT-proBNP led to a further improvement in model performance (increase in AUC from 0.72 for GRACE + NT-proBNP to 0.77 for GRACE + NT-proBNP + GLP-2). Conclusions In patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction, GLP-2 levels are associated with adverse cardiovascular prognosis. This demonstrates a strong yet not appreciated crosstalk between the heart and the gut with relevance for cardiovascular outcome. Future studies are needed to further explore this crosstalk with the possibility of new treatment avenues for cardiovascular disease. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): German Society of Cardiology (DGK), German Research Foundation (DFG)


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 2186-2186
Author(s):  
S. Kasper

Depression is one of the thoroughly evaluated diseases in psychiatry with regard to diagnosis as well as treatment variables. Like in other medical conditions, early treatment should be aimed and watchful waiting which is for instance also not done in the treatment of high blood pressure or diabetes, has not been proven to be a sophisticated approach based on neurobiological considerations. Like in other diseases, it is apparent that days of untreated depression may result in brain damage like reduced volume size of the hypocampus. The course of illness of depression shows that life events are less important in later stages of the illness than in earlier. The introduction of the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) marked a revolution in the treatment of depression, since it was possible to treat patient for the first time effectively with a more minor side effect profile with this approach. Substantially more patients could be reached and the association with this phenomenon and the reduction of the suicide rates in different countries like Sweden, Austria and Hungary has been discussed. Dual reuptake inhibitors effecting both the serotonergic as well as the noradrenergic pathways and the dopaminergic noradrenergic medication bupropion have been introduced in the filed with specific angles of treatment goals like pain or somatic symptoms. With the introduction of agomelatine, a unique mechanism of action with the combination of melatonergic agonistic as well as serotonergic antagonistic activities has been achieved. With this approach a more potent influence on the circadian rhythm has been shown compared to other, previously used antidepressant properties. Deep brain stimulation and vagus nerve stimulation for treatment refractory depressed patients yield promising results. More thorough characterisation of the underlying pathophysiology of depression including brain imaging results as well as molecular biological variables will yield further inside of the understanding and treatment of depression.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Kern ◽  
M. Soledad Cepeda ◽  
Frank Defalco ◽  
Mila Etropolski

Abstract Background Understanding how patients are treated in the real-world is vital to identifying potential gaps in care. We describe the current pharmacologic treatment patterns for the treatment of depression. Methods Patients with depression were identified from four large national claims databases during 1/1/2014–1/31/2019. Patients had ≥2 diagnoses for depression or an inpatient hospitalization with a diagnosis of depression. Patients were required to have enrollment in the database ≥1 year prior to and 3 years following their first depression diagnosis. Treatment patterns were captured at the class level and included selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, other antidepressants, anxiolytics, hypnotics/sedatives, and antipsychotics. Treatment patterns were captured during all available follow-up. Results We identified 269,668 patients diagnosed with depression. The proportion not receiving any pharmacological treatment during follow-up ranged from 29 to 52%. Of the treated, approximately half received ≥2 different classes of therapy, a quarter received ≥3 classes and more than 10% received 4 or more. SSRIs were the most common first-line treatment; however, many patients received an anxiolytic, hypnotic/sedative, or antipsychotic prior to any antidepressive treatment. Treatment with a combination of classes ranged from approximately 20% of first-line therapies to 40% of fourth-line. Conclusions Many patients diagnosed with depression go untreated and many others receive a non-antidepressant medication class as their first treatment. More than half of patients received more than one type of treatment class during the study follow up, suggesting that the first treatment received may not be optimal for most patients.


Author(s):  
Tatiana L. Karonova ◽  
Karina A. Pogosian ◽  
Liubov G. Yanevskaya ◽  
Olga D. Belyaeva ◽  
Elena N. Grineva

The review provides systematic information on the relation between pathology of parathyroid glands and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent studies have shown that actions of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium affect the heart and vasculature through downstream actions of their receptors in the myocardium and endothelial cells, which lead to higher incidence of CVD among patients with parathyroid gland disorders (PGD). The mechanisms underlying this association also include insulin resistance and altered renin-angiotensinaldosterone axis among patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. However, low calcium and PTH level in hypoparathyroid patients are characterized by higher values of arterial stiffness, electrocardiogram abnormalities, vascular atherosclerosis and remodeling. These factors contribute to low quality of life among those patients. Knowledge of cardiovascular disease pathogenesis in patients with hyper- or hypoparathyroidism could help to improve quality of diagnostic and treatment and decrease the burden of cardiac risk factors. This review will be of interest to endocrinologists and cardiologists, and other specialists.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieran Docherty ◽  
Silvio E Inzucchi ◽  
Lars Kober ◽  
Mikhail Kosiborod ◽  
Anna Maria Langkilde ◽  
...  

Background: Anemia is common and associated with worse outcomes in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We examined: 1) whether dapagliflozin corrected anemia in these patients, and 2) the effect of dapagliflozin on outcomes, in patients with or without anemia, in DAPA-HF. Methods: Anemia was defined as baseline hematocrit <39% in men and <36% in women (WHO). Correction of anemia was defined as two consecutive hematocrit measurements above these thresholds at any time during follow-up (follow-up visits: 2 weeks, 2 and 4 months and 4-monthly thereafter). The primary outcome was a composite of worsening HF (hospitalization or urgent visit requiring intravenous therapy) or cardiovascular death. Findings: Of the 4744 patients randomized in DAPA-HF, 4691 had a baseline hematocrit and 1032 were anemic (22.0%). Anemia was corrected in 62% of patients in the dapagliflozin group, compared with 41% of patients in the placebo group (odds ratio 2.37 [95% CI 1.84-3.04]; p<0.001). The effect of dapagliflozin on the primary outcome was consistent in anemic and non-anemic patients (HR 0.68 [95% CI 0.52-0.88] versus 0.76 [0.65-0.89]; P-interaction=0.44) [Figure]. A consistent benefit was also observed for the secondary outcomes, irrespective of anemia status t baseline. Patients with resolution of anemia had better outcomes than those with persisting anemia: rate of primary outcome 9.9 per 100 patient-years (95% CI 8.0-12.4) in those with resolution versus 24.1 per 100 patient-years (20.4-28.3) in those without anemia resolution. Interpretation: Anemia was common in patients in DAPA-HF and associated with worse outcomes. Resolution of anemia was associated with better outcomes than persistence of anemia, regardless of treatment allocation. Although dapagliflozin corrected anemia more often than placebo, treatment with dapagliflozin improved outcomes, irrespective of anemia status.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Eggart ◽  
Andreas Lange ◽  
Martin Binser ◽  
Silvia Queri ◽  
Bruno Müller-Oerlinghausen

Interoception is the sense of the physiological condition of the entire body. Impaired interoception has been associated with aberrant activity of the insula in major depressive disorder (MDD) during heartbeat perception tasks. Despite clinical relevance, studies investigating interoceptive impairments in MDD have never been reviewed systematically according to the guidelines of the PRISMA protocol, and therefore we collated studies that assessed accuracy in detecting heartbeat sensations (interoceptive accuracy, IAc) in MDD (databases: PubMed/Medline, PsycINFO, and PsycARTICLES). Out of 389 records, six studies met the inclusion criteria. The main findings suggest that (i) moderately depressed samples exhibit the largest interoceptive deficits as compared with healthy adults. (ii) difficulties in decision making and low affect intensity are correlated with low IAc, and (iii) IAc seems to normalize in severely depressed subjects. These associations may be confounded by sex, anxiety or panic disorder, and intake of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Our findings have implications for the development of interoceptive treatments that might relieve MDD-related symptoms or prevent relapse in recurrent depression by targeting the interoceptive nervous system.


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