Anti depressant eases anxiety in older adults

Washington, United States, January 21: Preliminary research suggests that use of the drug Lexapro provide some improvement in symptoms for older adults with generalized anxiety disorder.

Lead researcher, Dr Eric J Lenze, an associate professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis said, "This was the first large-scale study of antidepressant medications as a treatment for anxiety disorders in older adults."

Researchers looked at one specific drug, Lexapro, (escitalopram) to see if it could help relieve the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in older adults. Those with the condition worry chronically, with their quality of life being significantly affected.

Dr Eric and colleagues examined the effectiveness, safety and tolerance of Lexapro for the treatment of GAD in older adults. The study included 177 participants age 60 years or older with a diagnosis of GAD. The participants were randomly assigned either Lexapro or matching placebo for 12 weeks. Anxiety and other outcomes were measured using a number of assessment tools.

The results demonstrated that 69 percent of people taking Lexapro saw reductions in their anxiety levels, compared with 51 percent of those taking a placebo. Those on Lexapro also had greater improvement in social functioning.

Dr Lenze declared, "We found improvements not only in anxiety and level of worry but also in functioning. Overall the benefits were fairly modest. It will help some people a lot. Most people will probably need some sort of combination treatment."

The only adverse effects of escitalopram were fatigue or sleepiness, sleep disturbance and some urinary problems.

The researchers also found some added health benefits in people with high blood pressure. Taking Lexapro showed a significant decrease in blood pressure. It took about four weeks to discover the benefits. Lenze cautioned, "In older people the drugs may take longer to work. Patients need to be aware of that. They shouldn't expect immediate benefits."

Dr Lenze commented that patience was essential with the drug. "A short conclusion is that the drug was modestly beneficial, and even those modest benefits can only be seen if someone sticks with the medication long enough to see if it will help or not."

GAD, one of the most common psychiatric disorders in older adults, is defined by chronic, difficult-to-control worry and anxiety. The related symptoms include muscle tension, sleep disturbance and fatigue. This problem is prevalent in 7.3 percent of older adults. They often go undetected or are treated with sedatives, which can prove harmful in the long run.

The study was published in the Jan. 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.