Cardiovascular safety of one-year escitalopram therapy in clinically nondepressed patients with acute coronary syndrome: results from the DEpression in patients with Coronary ARtery Disease (DECARD) trial.

BACKGROUND: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly used for treatment of depression in patients with cardiac diseases. However, evidence of cardiovascular (CV) safety from randomized trials is based on studies of no longer than 6-month duration. We examined the CV safety of 1-year treatment with Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram compared with placebo in patients with recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: The DECARD (DEpression in patients with Coronary ARtery Disease) trial assessed the prophylactic effect of escitalopram on depression after ACS. Two hundred forty patients were randomized to escitalopram 10-mg daily or matching placebo for 1 year. Serial measures of CV safety including clinical and biochemical parameters, 24-hour electrocardiogram monitor, resting electrocardiogram, and echocardiographic assessment were obtained. RESULTS: Escitalopram and placebo groups were comparable at baseline with regard to age, gender, sociodemography, depression score, risk factor profile, severity of heart disease, and medications. Dropout rates defined as withdrawal for any reason or lost to follow-up during the 12-month study period was 27.2% in the escitalopram group and 23.4% in the placebo group (NS). There were no statistically significant differences between intervention groups in any of CV safety measures including the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia and episodes of ST-segment depression, length of QTc, and systolic and diastolic echocardiographic measures at the 12-month follow-up between groups. After 12 months, 16 and 13 major adverse events (death, recurrent ACS, or acute revascularization) were recorded in the escitalopram and placebo group, respectively (NS). CONCLUSIONS: One-year escitalopram treatment was safe and well tolerated in patients with recent ACS.

Mental disorders and general well-being in cardiology outpatients--6-year survival.

OBJECTIVE: Long-term survival in a sample of cardiology outpatients with and without mental disorders and other psychosocial risk factors. METHODS: In a cardiology outpatient setting, 103 consecutive patients were asked to participate in the study. Of these, 86 were included and screened for mental disorder with the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders; Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R, Non-Patient Edition, psychosis screening; the Clock Drawing Test; and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. The cardiologists were asked in each patient to rate the severity of somatic disease and mental problems on visual analogue scales (VAS-somatic and VAS-mental). Cardiac diagnosis, noncardiac comorbidity, history of mental disorder, and the number of daily social contacts were noted. Survival was followed for 6 years. RESULTS: At baseline, 33 (38.4%) patients had mental disorder, 6 dementia, 11 major depression, 6 minor depression, 6 anxiety disorder, 2 unspecified somatoform disorder, 1 alcohol abuse, and 1 psychosis. At 6 years of follow-up, 40 (47%) patients were deceased, 17 (48%) of those with and 23 (46%) of those without mental disorder. In a survival analysis, mortality was significantly predicted by age [hazard ratio (HR), 1.058], WHO-5 (HR, 0.977), the number of social contacts (HR, 0.699), VAS-somatic (HR, 1.016), and cardiac diagnosis (HR, 0.333). CONCLUSION: In chronic heart disease, well-being and social support seem related to long-term survival.

[Ambulatory 24-hour blood pressure monitoring in a case of liquorice-induced hypertension]. / Ambulant døgnblodtryksmåling ved lakridsinduceret hypertension.

We report on the use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in a young female with liquorice-induced hypertension. Blood pressure monitoring provides objective documentation of the cardiovascular effects of liquorice, which may be useful in the management of this disorder.

[Lung cancer: survival rate differences in Danish counties. Survival analysis of 33.838 patients during the period 1984-1998]. / Lungekraeft: forskelle i overlevelsen i danske amter. En analyse af 33.838 patienters overlevelse i perioden 1984-1998.

INTRODUCTION: The quality of care for Nordic cancer patients has been considered to be low in Denmark. Our quality problem was believed to be caused by the structure of our secondary health care. But there may be other explanations for the poor survival in Denmark, and the comparison with the other Nordic countries may be flawed by confounding factors, such as smoking habits and spread of cancer at the time of diagnosis. We therefore, analysed differences in regional survival after diagnosis of carcinoma of the lung in Denmark to look for signs of similar flaws. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample from the National Cancer Registry of all cases of carcinoma of the lung, diagnosed in 1984-1995. Persons older than 80 were excluded. Age and spread of cancer were included in a Cox analysis. RESULTS: Survival was dependent on residence. Within the first five months of diagnosis, survival was significantly poorer in Copenhagen City and better in the counties of Aarhus, Aalborg, and Viborg. At five months, the differences had diminished and only the counties of Fyn and Sønderjylland differed from the nationel average in a negative way. DISCUSSION: Better results were achieved than previously expected in some Danish counties. Interpretation of the Nordic results should be more critical and include possible confounders, such as smoking and spread of cancer at diagnosis. The Danish problem with cancer may be because of the delay of patient and doctor in the primary health care, together with an extreme life-style, including too much urban life and tobacco smoking.