Introduction Weight gain is a common problem during antidepressant treat- ment, and is also an important factor contributing to noncompli- ance. It is also a key issue influencing obesity-related illnesses. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) seem to differ from each another in terms of their effects on body weight, but the available literature on this topic is sparse, contradictory and lacking of data about new generation SSRIs. Methods This work evaluated weight changes during the first three months of escitalopram treatment in 34 outpatients with an ICD- 10 diagnosis of depression with comorbid anxiety, assessed in a naturalistic follow-up. Outcome measures were weight change and clinical improvement assessed with CGI. Results After the first three months of therapy, there was a slight de- crease in average body weight compared to baseline. However, the weight loss at three months did not reach statistical signifi- cance. Response to treatment was demonstrated by a statisti- cally significant reduction in CGI score. Limitations Both the small sample size and short follow-up times limit our results. Other variables such as depressive severity, atypical features and pre- morbid weight should be taken into account during further follow-up. Conclusions Our preliminary data suggest that escitalopram may not be as- sociated with weight gain, and further confirm the efficacy of escitalopram for treatment of depression with comorbid anxiety.
Trattamento con escitalopram e peso corporeo, dati preliminari.
MAURI, MAURO
In corso di stampa
Abstract
Introduction Weight gain is a common problem during antidepressant treat- ment, and is also an important factor contributing to noncompli- ance. It is also a key issue influencing obesity-related illnesses. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) seem to differ from each another in terms of their effects on body weight, but the available literature on this topic is sparse, contradictory and lacking of data about new generation SSRIs. Methods This work evaluated weight changes during the first three months of escitalopram treatment in 34 outpatients with an ICD- 10 diagnosis of depression with comorbid anxiety, assessed in a naturalistic follow-up. Outcome measures were weight change and clinical improvement assessed with CGI. Results After the first three months of therapy, there was a slight de- crease in average body weight compared to baseline. However, the weight loss at three months did not reach statistical signifi- cance. Response to treatment was demonstrated by a statisti- cally significant reduction in CGI score. Limitations Both the small sample size and short follow-up times limit our results. Other variables such as depressive severity, atypical features and pre- morbid weight should be taken into account during further follow-up. Conclusions Our preliminary data suggest that escitalopram may not be as- sociated with weight gain, and further confirm the efficacy of escitalopram for treatment of depression with comorbid anxiety.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
