Stanford researchers test drug to fight depression faster ...( STANFORD Calif. - Elderly people who s...),Health

STANFORD, Calif. - Elderly people who suffer from depression can take the edge off faster by using a drug called mirtazapine, which appears to work more quickly compared to rival drugs. These results come from a study by researchers at Stanford University Medical Center who compared two drugs in an eight-week trial. Although both drugs treated the depression, mirtazapine began working sooner and eased the patient's anxiety - a common effect of depression in elderly people.

"There's a sense that we need something else for elderly patients and here is an alternative that is well tolerated," said Alan Schatzberg, MD, the Kenneth T. Norris, Jr. Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. "It gives doctors an alternative."

Anti-depression drugs come in two common varieties. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as the popular Zoloft and Prozac, cause the brain chemical serotonin to linger in the gaps between neurons. These drugs are extremely effective but can interact with other drugs such as beta-blockers, which many elderly people take to quell heart problems.

The alternative to SSRIs - tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) - can have side effects that make them less appealing. However, mirtazapine, a non-tricyclic that works similarly to TCA's, has few side effects or drug interactions. "Mirtazapine has TCA-like properties without the side effects," Schatzberg said. "A lot of people use it where they might have used a TCA, particularly in the elderly." Mirtazapine enhances the effects of serotonin and other brain chemicals and also acts as a mild sedative.

Schatzberg tested mirtazapine's effectiveness against paroxetine (sold under the name Paxil), a popular SSRI. In his trial, 255 depressed people 65 or older were randomly divided into groups taking either mirtazapine or paroxetine. Psychiatrists analyzed the patients' depression throughout an eight-week test period.

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Contact: Amy Adams
amyadams@stanford.edu
650-723-3900
Stanford University Medical Center
16-Oct-2002

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