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| Edited By: |Source: ANI |Updated: Apr 26, 2011, 03:54 PM IST
A recent study has found that anti-inflammatory drugs, reduce the effectiveness of antidepressant medications, also known as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).
These medicines taken for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders include ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen.
The study was conducted by scientists at the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at The Rockefeller University, led by Paul Greengard and Jennifer Warner Schmidt.
"The mechanism underlying these effects is not yet clear. Nevertheless, our results may have profound implications for patients, given the high treatment resistance rates for depressed individuals taking SSRIs," said Dr. Warner-Schmidt.
This surprising discovery, to some extent, explains why so many depressed patients taking SSRIs do not respond to antidepressant treatment.
The study may hold valid in the case of Alzheimer's disease. Patients with Alzheimer’s commonly suffer from depression and unless this can be treated successfully, the illness is likely to grow severe.
Going further, the study shows that depression in the elderly is also a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease. The researchers suggest that treating them in time might reduce the risk of developing the disease.
"Many elderly individuals suffering from depression also have arthritic or related diseases and as a consequence are taking both antidepressant and anti-inflammatory medications. Our results suggest that physicians should carefully balance the advantages and disadvantages of continuing anti-inflammatory therapy in patients being treated with antidepressant medications," Dr. Greengard said.
The study has shown that out of the total patients tested, 54% responded to the antidepressant in the absence of any anti-inflammatory medicines compared to approximately, 40% of those who had consumed anti-inflammatory agents.
The study has been published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
