Authors: Feng, Liang; Tan, Chay-Hoon¹; Merchant, Reshma A.²; Ng, Tze-Pin

Source: Drugs & Aging, Volume 25, Number 9, 2008 , pp. 795-805(11)

Publisher: Adis International

Abstract:

Background: Strong evidence supporting the existence of causal associations of drug use with depression is often lacking from empirical studies. Limited evidence suggests an inverse association of use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) with depressive symptoms. Sparse and sometimes conflicting data in this respect have also been reported for corticosteroids, histamine H₂ receptor antagonists and antihypertensive agents.

Objective: To identify associations between use of different drug classes and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older patients and to determine whether any such associations varied between young-old and old-old patients.

Method: We analysed cross-sectional data from a population-based cohort of 2804 older adults aged ≥55 years, in whom specific drug use was systematically identified from self-reports and physical inspection of medication labels. Depressive symptoms were determined using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), with a GDS score ≥5 defining the presence of depressive symptoms.

Results: Multivariate analysis controlling for the confounding effects of risk factors and correlates of depression revealed significant associations between depressive symptoms and use of statins (odds ratio [OR] 0.71; 95% CI 0.52, 0.97), histamine H₂ receptor antagonists for patients aged <65 years (OR 4.67; 95% CI 1.59, 13.74) and, in participants aged ≥65 years, systemic corticosteroids (OR 4.02; 95% CI 1.12, 14.42). No convincing associations between the presence of depressive symptoms and use of antihypertensives, antiparkinsonism drugs, NSAIDs and tranquilizers/hypnotic/sedatives were demonstrated.

Conclusion: The evidence in this study suggests a possible protective effect of statin use on depressive symptoms, and affirms a positive association between depressive symptoms and corticosteroid use, especially in the older elderly. Use of H₂ receptor antagonists was also associated with depressive symptoms, probably through their link with underlying dyspeptic syndromes.

Keywords: Corticosteroids; Depression; Elderly; Histamine H2 receptor antagonists; HMG CoA reductase inhibitors

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: 3 Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 2: 4 Department of Geriatric Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore

Publication date: 2008-01-01

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Internal Medicine ,  Pharmacology
• By this author: Feng, Liang ;  Tan, Chay-Hoon ;  Merchant, Reshma A. ;  Ng, Tze-Pin

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers