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| |  NSAIDs Do Not Appear to Alleviate Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults: Presented at AAGP By Carole VanSickle Ellis SAVANNAH, Ga -- March 9, 2010 -- While several different lines of evidence seem to indicate that inflammatory mechanisms may be involved in the severity and progression of depression, the use of celecoxib and naproxen do not appear alleviate depressive symptoms in older adults. The results were presented here on March 7 at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) by Cynthia D. Fields, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. The team had speculated that using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to relieve inflammation in the body could actually avert or slow the progress of depression. For the study, researchers analysed date from patients in the randomised, placebo-controlled, double-masked Alzheimer’s Disease Anti-Inflammatory Prevention Trial (ADAPT). In ADAPT, patients were randomised to receive celecoxib 200 mg BID, naproxen 220 mg BID, or placebo. Of the 2,528 patients enrolled, 2,312 patients returned for at least 1 follow-up visit. Approximately one-fifth of patients were depressed at baseline. The percentage of patients who were depressed remained similar over time in all treatment groups. The mean change from baseline in Geriatric Depression scale (GDS) score (primary endpoint of ADAPT) for patients in the celecoxib and naproxen groups did not differ significantly from those in the placebo group. Higher baseline GDS scores, a prior psychiatric history, older age, time in the study, and lower cognition interacting with time were all associated with significantly higher follow-up GDS scores (P < .01). “Inflammation has been implicated in late-life depression,” said Dr. Fields, “but our results do not support the hypothesis that you can slow or prevent these symptoms with NSAIDs.” The researchers pointed out that the study results could have been limited by the test group, which was largely volunteer-based and nearly entirely Caucasian, married, and highly educated, having completed 4 or more years of college. Funding for this research was provided by the National Institute of Aging. [Presentation title: Celecoxib or Naproxen Treatment Does Not Benefit Depressive Symptoms in Persons Aged 70 and Over: Findings from a Randomized, Controlled Trial. Abstract EI28]
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