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Article: Drug Update: Depression in the Elderly.
- Article from:
- Family Practice News
- Article date:
- July 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 International Medical News Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Treating depressed elderly patients with antidepressants is one of the best ways to improve their overall function and quality of life. Depression often precedes dementia in the aged; treating it can gain 1-2 years in improved cognitive function.
The availability of selective serotonin reuprake inhibitors (SSRIs) has allowed physicians to treat depression in patients who are older or more medically ill. Before the advent of SSRIs, physicians could not be as aggressive in treating depression. They often were reluctant to use a tricyclic antidepressant in older patients because of the cardiac risk and the anticholinergic effects of these drugs.
But experts ...