Key result
Sertraline is linked to lower depression efficacy than nortriptyline in frail elderly despite similar tolerability.
Why the study?
Does sertraline improve depression compared to nortriptyline in frail elderly nursing home residents?
Observational (n=97)
Open-label
Does sertraline improve depression compared to nortriptyline in frail elderly nursing home residents?
In frail older adults in nursing homes, sertraline may be less effective than nortriptyline for treating depression, despite similar tolerability.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May suggest nortriptyline over sertraline in frail elderly; hypothesis-generating and requires RCTs before practice change.
Studies have demonstrated that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants have similar efficacy to other agents, such as tricyclic antidepressants. However, data are limited for direct comparisons with other antidepressants. The authors conducted a contemporaneous comparison of nursing home residents treated with open-label sertraline in doses up to 100 mg/day with nursing home residents treated in a double-blind randomized study of low vs. regular doses of nortriptyline. There were 97 patients enrolled in the study (28 treated with sertraline), with an average treatment duration of 55 days. There were no differences in the tolerability of sertraline vs. nortriptyline. However, in this group of frail older adults, sertraline was not as effective as nortriptyline for the treatment of depression.
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Oslin et al. (2000) conducted an observational in Depression (n=97). Sertraline vs. Nortriptyline was evaluated on Efficacy for the treatment of depression. In a comparison of 97 frail elderly nursing home residents, sertraline was not as effective as nortriptyline for the treatment of depression, with no differences in tolerability.
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