Key result
Calcium channel blockers show no increased risk of depression versus ACE inhibitors.
Why the study?
There is a paucity of evidence from large scale studies assessing the association between calcium channel blockers and depression.
Do calcium channel blockers increase the rate of depression compared to ACE inhibitors in patients treated in general practice?
Cohort
Do calcium channel blockers increase the rate of depression compared to ACE inhibitors in patients treated in general practice?
Calcium channel blockers are not associated with an increased risk of depression compared to ACE inhibitors in general practice patients.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports no increased depression risk with calcium channel blockers versus ACE inhibitors in general practice; leaves open randomized confirmation.
AIMS: Some reports have suggested that calcium channel blockers may be associated with an increased incidence of depression or suicide. There is a paucity of evidence from large scale studies. The aim of this study was to assess rates of depression with calcium channel antagonists using data from prescription event monitoring studies. METHODS: Observational studies on large cohorts of patients using lisinopril, enalapril (ACE inhibitors), nicardipine (type 2 calcium channel blocker) and diltiazem (type 3 calcium channel blocker) were conducted, using prescription-event monitoring. Rates of depression in the different drugs and rate ratios (95% CI) were computed. RESULTS: The crude overall rates of depression during treatment were 1.89, 1.92 and 1.62 per 1000 patient months for the ACE inhibitors, diltiazem and nicardipine, respectively. Using the ACE inhibitors as the reference group, the rate ratios for depression were 1.07 (0. 82-1.40) and 0.86 (0.69-1.08) for diltiazem and nicardipine, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not support the hypothesis that calcium channel blockers are associated with depression, when considering patients treated in general practice in the UK.
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Dunn et al. (1999) conducted a cohort in Patients using cardiovascular agents. Calcium channel blockers (diltiazem and nicardipine) vs. ACE inhibitors (lisinopril and enalapril) was evaluated on Rates of depression (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.82-1.40). Calcium channel blockers were not associated with an increased rate of depression compared to ACE inhibitors (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.82-1.40 for diltiazem; RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.69-1.08 for nicardipine).
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