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The article presents a study that examined whether the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Val66Met polymorphism, was associated with late-life depression in an outpatient population of older individuals who were evaluated at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. The study found that the Met66 allele was more common in older people with depression. Furthermore, the allele was not associated with other clinical findings, such as those with a family history of depression.

Background: Therapies may reduce short-term rates of nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) without a detectable effect on mortality. We sought to estimate the long-term clinical implications of nonfatal MI occurring within the first 3 and 6 months after initial cardiac catheterization., Methods: We included consecutive patients with significant coronary artery disease (≥75% stenosis in ≥1 epicardial segments) undergoing diagnostic catheterization between January 1, 1999, and September 30, 2006. Landmark analyses were performed for patients surviving at 3- and 6-month follow-up. At these times, patients were divided into groups based upon occurrence of a nonfatal MI subsequent to catheterization., Results: Among 14,890 patients alive at 3 months (669 with MI and 14,221 without an MI), having an MI during the initial 3-month period was a significant predictor of reduced 4-year survival (77.1% vs 83.5%, hazard ratio 1.40, 95% CI 1.21-1.63, P < .001), survival free of MI (68.4% vs 78.5%, hazard ratio 1.50, 95% CI 1.32-1.71, P < .001), and survival free of MI or revascularization (59.7% vs 68.5%, hazard ratio 1.34, 95% CI 1.19-1.51, P < .001). Adjusted hazard ratios were similar for patients surviving to 6 months (804 with MI and 13,842 without an MI)., Conclusions: Nonfatal MIs occurring within the first 3 and 6 months after diagnostic catheterization are associated with a significant increase in the risk for subsequent clinical events. Clinical studies with limited follow-up periods may underestimate the long-term value of therapies that reduce early MI rates as downstream benefits continue to accrue over time., (Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the general psychiatric population is unknown. The authors conducted a retrospective review of all patients evaluated through the psychiatric outpatient clinics at Duke University Medical Center from 2001 to 2004 in order to determine the prevalence of comorbid HIV infection and mental illness. HIV infection was present in 1.2% of the psychiatric outpatients, approximately four times the occurrence of HIV infection in the general adult population of the United States. The major psychiatric diagnostic categories with a high prevalence of HIV infection were substance abuse disorders (5%), personality disorders (3.1%), bipolar disorders (2.6%), and posttraumatic stress disorder (2.1%).

Background: The point prevalence of depression and its relationship to poor outcomes among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not been fully characterized., Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of 374 patients admitted with congestive heart failure between March 1, 1997 and June 30, 1998, to investigate the point prevalence of depression among patients with CKD and its association with mortality. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered to all patients. Those who scored 10 or higher were administered the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between severe CKD, corresponding to a creatinine clearance less than 30 mL/min/72 kg (<0.50 mL/s/72 kg), depression, and mortality at 1 year., Results: Point prevalences of depressive symptoms by BDI and major depression by DIS were 54.8% and 21.6% if severe CKD was present and 32.8% and 13.0% if severe CKD was absent, respectively. After controlling for important clinical factors, severe CKD was associated with depressive symptoms by BDI (odds ratio, 2.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.39 to 5.99). Both depression by DIS and severe CKD were significant predictors of mortality. The increased mortality risk associated with depression did not decline with decreasing kidney function., Conclusion: Depression was more prevalent among patients with than without severe CKD and had at least as strong an association with mortality as compared with depression in patients with no or less severe CKD. The point prevalence of depression decreased when the DIS interview was used, perhaps related to the presence of somatic measures on the BDI reflecting uremia. Studies assessing the efficacy of antidepressants among patients with CKD are needed to determine whether, in addition to treating depression, pharmacotherapy impacts mortality.

The identification of an association between fenfluramines and valvular disease has raised the possibility of a similar association between another class of medications that increases local levels of serotonin, the selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The objective of this study was to examine the association between heart valve regurgitation and treatment with SSRIs. We examined 5,437 consecutive patients who underwent echocardiography. Patients with a similar likelihood of SSRI treatment were identified by propensity models. The prevalence of regurgitation according to treatment was compared after adjusting for clinical characteristics associated with regurgitation. We also blindly reinterpreted a subset of 2,000 echocardiograms to identify characteristics associated with fenfluramine-associated valvular heart disease such as posterior mitral leaflet restriction. Among 5,437 consecutively hospitalized patients, we identified 292 who had taken SSRIs before admission. Patients taking SSRIs tended to be younger, female, Caucasian, unmarried, and more likely to have psychiatric illness and hypertension (p < or = 0.05). The overall prevalence of regurgitation meeting Food and Drug Administration criteria (at least moderate mitral regurgitation or mild aortic regurgitation) was 30%, with no significant difference in prevalence between those receiving SSRIs (26.7%) and controls (30.4%) (p = 0.19). The association remained negative when comparing SSRI-treated patients to controls with similar characteristics. Furthermore, the prevalence of features described in conjunction with fenfluramine exposure, such as posterior mitral leaflet restriction, was not higher in SSRI-treated patients. Among a large consecutive cohort of patients, the prevalence of mitral and aortic regurgitation in patients taking SSRIs was not different from that of controls, suggesting that SSRIs are not associated with valvular disease.

The authors examined impairment in self-maintenance skills and in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) among 211 older patients with unipolar major depression. In regression models, self-maintenance impairment was associated with older age, less reported depressed mood, psychomotor retardation, and severe chronic medical illness. IADL deficit was associated with older age, greater severity of depression, less guilt, more apathy, weight loss, greater cognitive impairment, more severe chronic medical illness, less social interaction, lower subjective social support, and greater instrumental support. The authors conclude that efforts to remediate basic skills deficits in depressed older adults should focus on treating comorbid medical conditions; impaired IADL skills in geriatric depressed patients should improve with treatment of depression and medical illness. Clinicians should be aware that substantial IADL impairment may accompany mild cognitive impairment associated with depression in older patients.

How racial differences influence depressed elders' seeking and obtaining treatment for depression is poorly understood. Studies in other medical illnesses show older African Americans use fewer health-care services for heart disease, stroke, and renal dialysis. This article reviews the racial composition of Duke University's Clinical Research Center (CRC) for the Study of Depression in the Elderly. Possible explanations for low participation of African Americans in such programs also are discussed. During most of the first year of the CRC project, minority enrollment varied from 5% to 10%, at least one third the African-American population of the area. Active efforts to improve minority recruitment increased this percentage to 15% by the end of the project's second year. Likely explanations for low minority participation rates include 1) elders may recognize depressive symptoms, but do not seek or cannot obtain medical treatment, and 2) depressive symptoms may be attributed to a crisis of the spirit (so help is sought through prayer and the church), the "slowing down" process of aging, or part of life's burden to be endured. Future attempts at both treatment and clinical research recruitment efforts are needed to address these possibilities.

Age of onset has been used as a correlate of depressive symptomatology in the elderly. Examining frequency of episodes may improve our ability to make such correlations. The authors studied variations in an index presentation of depression in late life based on the number of previous depressive episodes. Having more than two previous episodes (as compared to two or less) was related to younger age, early age of onset, dysthymia, feelings of worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, slowed thoughts, suicidal ideation, generalized anxiety, and decreased perceptions of social support. In a logistic regression model, significant predictors of more than two previous episodes were young age, early age of onset, dysthymia, suicidality, and lower perceived social support. Patients with many episodes may be at higher risk for more severe illness and may require more aggressive treatment.