To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: CPA: Antidepressant Use and Hormone Replacement Therapy Have Inverse Relationship Among Postmenopausal Women URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/2474BE.htm Doctor's Guide October 20, 2004
By Louise Gagnon
MONTREAL, QC -- October 20, 2004 - There is an inverse relationship between the prescription of antidepressants and the prescription of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) amongst women of menopausal age in Ontario, according to study findings.
In light of the negative publicity resulting from the outcome of the Women's Health Initiative that found detrimental effects of HRT, researchers investigated the effect that the negative publicity had on prescribing practices. Study investigator Roger McIntyre, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and head of the Mood Disorders Clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, presented the findings here at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Canadian Psychiatric Association.
"We found that there was an abrupt decrease in the prescription of HRT in Canada since July 2002," said Dr. McIntyre. "At the same time, there has been a very substantive increase in the prescription of serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)."
Researchers hypothesized that with the Journal of the American Medical Association publication of results from the Women's Health Initiative in the United States, there would be a decrease in the prescription of HRT.
"We hypothesized that the abrupt discontinuation of HRT would be associated with changes in the prescription of psychotropic medications, specifically anti-depressant treatment," said Dr. McIntyre. He explained that they made this hypothesis because hormonal therapy has been shown to have an anti-depressant action and that SSRI treatment has been shown to be helpful for menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. SSRIs act as a proxy of the anti-depressant effects of HRT. Serotonergic antidepressants have been prescribed to treat menopausal symptoms."
To reflect the patterns of before and after negative publicity of HRT, the researchers examined prescriptions that were dispensed between September 2001 through June 2002 and those that were dispensed between September 2002 and June 2003. The study looked at both oral and transdermal delivery of HRT and at several SSRIs including citalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, and sertraline.
An examination was also performed of a claims database containing prescriptions of HRT and SSRIs dispensed at retail pharmacies throughout Ontario to women aged 45 through 65 to define the relationship between HRT prescriptions and prescriptions of SSRIs. The researchers found that there was an inverse relationship: a modest rise in HRT prescriptions in the first time period was associated with a statistically significant decrease in SSRI prescriptions while in the second time period, there was sharp drop in HRT prescriptions and a statistically significant rise in SSRI prescriptions.
The study has been accepted for publication in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
[Presentation title: "Hormone Replacement Therapy and Antidepressant Prescription Patterns: A Reciprocal Relationship." Abstract 27] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.