Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
 172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A study of the effects of conjugated oestrogens (Premarin) upon the depression scores of depressed and non-depressed menopausal women was carried out. Depression levels were obtained for both groups before and after four weeks of hormone replacement therapy. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depression levels, while a semistructured interview provided information related to the physiological, psychological and sociocultural stresses affecting individual women. Depression scores of the depressed group did not improve within the given treatment period, in contrast with improved scores for the non-depressed subjects who reported increased feelings of well-being following hormone replacement therapy.
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PMID:The effect of exogenous oestrogens on depression in menopausal women. 19 85

Of 300 menopausal patients, 82 experienced climacteric symptoms, with vasomotor disturbances absent in 42 (Group 1) and present in 40(Group 2). Group 2 patients commonly complained of headaches, insomnia and dyspareunia, while Group 1 complained mostly of loss of libido and depression. Group 2 was managed rather successfully with treatment of conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin) daily for 3 weeks; Group 1 was given the same treatment but the response was disappointing. Women with vasomotor symptoms exhibited a lower, mean plasma estradiol concentration compared with that observed during days 1-10 of the menstrual cycle. Concenerations of FSH (Plasma follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) in women with vasomotor symptoms were similar to those of younger, regularly menstruating women. Group 2 patients treated for 6 months with estrogen had a 2.1 fold increase in mean plasma estradiol concentration and 39% and 66% reduction of pretreatment plasma FSH and LH concentrations, respectively; Group 1 did not exhibit such changes. Patients with estrogen-responsive symptoms exhibited high concentrations of FSH (15 U/1 was the diagnostic cut-off point). Effective patient selection for estrogen replacement therapy can be achieved by using this measurement in the presence of characteristic symptoms.
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PMID:Relation between plasma hormone profiles, symptoms, and response to oestrogen treatment in women approaching the menopause. 21 37

Sixty-four patients with severe menopausal symptoms completed a four month double-blind placebo trial with conjugated equine oestrogens (premarin). Using a graphic rating scale system of assessment, a statistically significant improvement with premarin was observed in 12 psychological and symptomatic scores (Table 3). From a comparison between these results and the results of the 20 patients without vasomotor symptoms it would appear that many of these symptomatic improvements result from the relief of hot flushes (i.e. a domino effect). However, the improvement in memory and reduction of anxiety in these 20 patients suggest that oestrogens have a direct tonic effect on the mental state which is independent of vasomotor symptoms. Sixty-one patients with less severe menopausal symptoms completed the second twelve month double-blind placebo trial and, as assessed by graphic rating scales, a significant improvement with premarin was observed in five psychological and symptomatic scores (Table 3). In both the twelve and four month studies the marked placebo effect of "youthful skin appearance", and on skin greasiness in the twelve month study, indicate that no reliance can be placed on patient judgement of skin texture and appearance. Despite the lessening of the domino effect there was a slight improvement with premarin over placebo in 15 of the remaining 16 symptoms and it is likely that the cumulative effect of these small improvements results in an overall enhancement of well-being. The relief of atrophic vaginitis by premarin did not result in an improvement in libido and this suggests that the ability and the desire to have sexual intercourse are not related. The strength and duration of the placebo effect were well demonstrated in the three standard psychiatric scoring systems, the Beck score (for depression), the General Health Questionnaire and the Eysenck Personality Index (formula: see text) (for neuroticism). We observed a highly significant placebo effect extending for six months in all three, the improvement with premarin over placebo being non-significant. We must conclude that these tests are not sufficiently sensitive to assess psychological or symptomatic changes in menopausal women and that these changes are best assessed by the graphic rating scales. The number of side-effects and complications was assessed in the 61 patients in the long study. A higher incidence of minor side-effects was observed during premarin therapy; this was most marked in relation to leg cramps but radio-isotope scanning revealed no evidence of leg vein thrombosis in these patients or indeed in any patient in the study. Premarin caused no elevation of systolic or diastolic blood pressure; indeed there was a progressive fall in blood pressure throughout the study with no significant difference between premarin and placebo...
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PMID:Oestrogen therapy and the menopausal syndrome. 32 5

The side effects of using estrogen treatments to relieve menopausal symptoms in women are presented. Estrogens are effective in relieving headaches, vertigo, palpitations, and nervous symptoms such as depression, as well as degeneration and atrophy of the genital organs. In Norway, 2.5% of women over 45 as compared with 50% in the U.S. use estrogens to relieve menopausal symptoms. The incidence of endometrial cancer has risen from 9.2/100,000 in 1955 to 15.4 in 1974. Increased susceptibility to endometrial cancer has been linked to long-term use of estrogens, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and nulliparity. In American studies, Premarin has been associated with increased risk of cancer related to the chemical equilinine, which has a long half-life. After menopause, the need for estrogen is met by the conversion of androstenedione, which is produced by the adrenal gland. When estrogens are taken, it may result in an overstimulation of the endometrium, which could cause cancer. Estrogens have bene found useful and safe for short-term relief of menopausal symptoms, and any patient using estrogens should be under routine observation to prevent development of cancer.
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PMID:[From the Adverse Drug Reaction Committee. Can long-term estrogen treatment induce uterine neoplasms in post-climacteric women?]. 125 36

This single case study reports on a 74-year-old woman with 48-hour cycles of mood disturbance for 2 years. Every other day she awakened feeling sad with low energy, decreased appetite, fatigue, diminished enjoyment of normal activities, increased irritability, occasional self-deprecatory thoughts, and difficulty concentrating. On alternative days she was active, outgoing, energetic, and cheerful. Her past history was marked by mild postpartum depressions, not requiring treatment, with each of her six pregnancies, and a more severe depression at age 57, which seemed to respond to Premarin. During the recent 2-year period of mood swings, the patient was given trials of several heterocyclic antidepressant medications, but side effects precluded the use of therapeutic doses or durations of treatment. Reluctantly, the patient agreed to a trial of lithium carbonate. After the second week of lithium treatment, at a level of 0.4 mEq/ml, she reported marked improvement, feeling fine every day without mood fluctuations. After almost 1 year at this blood level, she remains asymptomatic. Thus, the patient's cyclic 48-hour unipolar depression responded dramatically and completely to low doses of lithium carbonate.
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PMID:Cyclic 48-hour unipolar depression. 312 83

The psychological responses of 23 symptomatic climacteric women were analyzed to compare the effects of opposed estrogen therapy, i.e., conjugated equine estrogen (Premarin) and medrogestone (Colpro), with those of clonidine (Dixarit). Ten asymptomatic postmenopausal women constituted a control group. Statistical analysis of the data of this randomized double-blind prospective study showed that the hormone-treated group experienced significant improvement in various measurements of depression and anxiety whereas the clonidine-treated group did not. Ratings based on subjective reports by the patients support these findings. Various inverse and positive associations between the psychological variables are presented.
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PMID:Psychological changes effected by estrogen-progestogen and clonidine treatment in climacteric women. 627 6