BACKGROUND: Antidepressants are used to treat depression and behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD), although their effectiveness has been questioned and evidence about the risks is accumulating. The objective of this study was to compare antidepressant use among persons with and without AD in Finland. METHODS: The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (SII) identified all persons with a verified diagnosis of AD in Finland on December 31, 2005. For each person with AD a comparison person matched for age, sex and region of residence was also identified. Data on reimbursed drug purchases in 2005 were extracted from the Finnish National Prescription Register (FNPR). Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for antidepressant use. RESULTS: The study sample comprised of 28,089 matched pairs of persons with and without AD (mean age 80.0 SD 6.8, 32.2% men).The prevalence of antidepressant use was higher among persons with AD than without AD (29.4% vs. 10.7%, OR = 3.54; 95% CI: 3.38, 3.70). Among the persons with AD, the prevalence of antidepressant use increased with time since AD diagnosis but not with age. Overall, 90.4% of antidepressant users with AD were co-dispensed anti-dementia drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The antidepressant use was three times more prevalent among persons with AD compared to those without. Though the antidepressant selection was largely consistent with clinical practice guidelines, the high prevalence of use warrants further investigation given the uncertain effectiveness and adverse events related to these drugs.
BACKGROUND: Antidepressants are used to treat depression and behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD), although their effectiveness has been questioned and evidence about the risks is accumulating. The objective of this study was to compare antidepressant use among persons with and without AD in Finland. METHODS: The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (SII) identified all persons with a verified diagnosis of AD in Finland on December 31, 2005. For each person with AD a comparison person matched for age, sex and region of residence was also identified. Data on reimbursed drug purchases in 2005 were extracted from the Finnish National Prescription Register (FNPR). Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for antidepressant use. RESULTS: The study sample comprised of 28,089 matched pairs of persons with and without AD (mean age 80.0 SD 6.8, 32.2% men).The prevalence of antidepressant use was higher among persons with AD than without AD (29.4% vs. 10.7%, OR = 3.54; 95% CI: 3.38, 3.70). Among the persons with AD, the prevalence of antidepressant use increased with time since AD diagnosis but not with age. Overall, 90.4% of antidepressant users with AD were co-dispensed anti-dementia drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The antidepressant use was three times more prevalent among persons with AD compared to those without. Though the antidepressant selection was largely consistent with clinical practice guidelines, the high prevalence of use warrants further investigation given the uncertain effectiveness and adverse events related to these drugs.
Authors: Henna Hiltunen; Edwin C K Tan; Jenni Ilomäki; Sarah N Hilmer; Renuka Visvanathan; Tina Emery; Leonie Robson; Mary J Jones; Sirpa Hartikainen; J Simon Bell Journal: Ther Adv Drug Saf Date: 2016-04-01
Authors: Philipp Hessmann; Jan Zeidler; Jona Stahmeyer; Sveja Eberhard; Jonathan Vogelgsang; Mona Abdel-Hamid; Claus Wolff-Menzler; Jens Wiltfang; Bernhard Kis Journal: Front Pharmacol Date: 2019-07-24 Impact factor: 5.810