Gerhard-Paul Diller1, Andrea Bräutigam2, Aleksander Kempny3, Anselm Uebing3, Rafael Alonso-Gonzalez3, Lorna Swan3, Sonya V Babu-Narayan3, Helmut Baumgartner2, Konstantinos Dimopoulos3, Michael A Gatzoulis3. 1. Adult Congenital Heart Centre and Centre for Pulmonary Hypertension, NIHR Cardiovascular and Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK Division of Adult Congenital and Valvular Heart Disease, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 33, Muenster 48149, Germany gerhard.diller@gmail.com. 2. Division of Adult Congenital and Valvular Heart Disease, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 33, Muenster 48149, Germany. 3. Adult Congenital Heart Centre and Centre for Pulmonary Hypertension, NIHR Cardiovascular and Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Depression is prevalent in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD), but limited data on the frequency of anti-depressant drug (ADD) therapy and its impact on outcome are available. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified all ACHD patients treated with ADDs between 2000 and 2011 at our centre. Of 6162 patients under follow-up, 204 (3.3%) patients were on ADD therapy. The majority of patients were treated with selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (67.4%), while only 17.0% of patients received tricyclic anti-depressants. Twice as many female patients used ADDs compared with males (4.4 vs. 2.2%, P < 0.0001). The percentage of patients on ADDs increased with disease complexity (P < 0.0001) and patient age (P < 0.0001). Over a median follow-up of 11.1 years, 507 (8.2%) patients died. After propensity score matching, ADD use was found to be significantly associated with worse outcome in male ACHD patients [hazard ratio 1.44 (95% confidence interval 1.17-1.84)]. There was no evidence that this excess mortality was directly related to ADD therapy, QT-prolongation, or malignant arrhythmias. However, males taking ADDs were also more likely to miss scheduled follow-up appointments compared with untreated counterparts, while no such difference in clinic attendance was seen in females. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ADD therapy in ACHD relates to gender, age, and disease complexity. Although, twice as many female patients were on ADDs, it were their male counterparts, who were at increased mortality risk on therapy. Furthermore, males on ADDs had worse adherence to scheduled appointments suggesting the need for special medical attention and possibly psychosocial intervention for this group of patients. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved.
BACKGROUND: Depression is prevalent in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD), but limited data on the frequency of anti-depressant drug (ADD) therapy and its impact on outcome are available. METHODS AND RESULTS: We identified all ACHD patients treated with ADDs between 2000 and 2011 at our centre. Of 6162 patients under follow-up, 204 (3.3%) patients were on ADD therapy. The majority of patients were treated with selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (67.4%), while only 17.0% of patients received tricyclic anti-depressants. Twice as many female patients used ADDs compared with males (4.4 vs. 2.2%, P < 0.0001). The percentage of patients on ADDs increased with disease complexity (P < 0.0001) and patient age (P < 0.0001). Over a median follow-up of 11.1 years, 507 (8.2%) patients died. After propensity score matching, ADD use was found to be significantly associated with worse outcome in male ACHD patients [hazard ratio 1.44 (95% confidence interval 1.17-1.84)]. There was no evidence that this excess mortality was directly related to ADD therapy, QT-prolongation, or malignant arrhythmias. However, males taking ADDs were also more likely to miss scheduled follow-up appointments compared with untreated counterparts, while no such difference in clinic attendance was seen in females. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ADD therapy in ACHD relates to gender, age, and disease complexity. Although, twice as many female patients were on ADDs, it were their male counterparts, who were at increased mortality risk on therapy. Furthermore, males on ADDs had worse adherence to scheduled appointments suggesting the need for special medical attention and possibly psychosocial intervention for this group of patients. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved.
Authors: Matthew R Carazo; Meghan S Kolodziej; Elizabeth S DeWitt; Nadine A Kasparian; Jane W Newburger; Valeria E Duarte; Michael N Singh; Alexander R Opotowsky Journal: J Am Heart Assoc Date: 2020-04-28 Impact factor: 5.501
Authors: Tim Halling; Steffen Akkermann; Friederike Löffler; Adrian Groh; Ivo Heitland; Walter Emil Haefeli; Johann Bauersachs; Kai G Kahl; Mechthild Westhoff-Bleck Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2021-11-24 Impact factor: 4.157