eprintid: 10109247
rev_number: 30
eprint_status: archive
userid: 608
dir: disk0/10/10/92/47
datestamp: 2020-09-06 10:38:41
lastmod: 2021-11-12 23:52:10
status_changed: 2020-09-06 10:38:41
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Xu, Z
creators_name: Yang, J
creators_name: Lau, KK
creators_name: Yip, PSF
creators_name: Wong, I
creators_name: Zhang, Q
title: Understanding the association between antidepressants and the risk of being diagnosed with dementia in older people: a self-controlled case series study
ispublished: pub
divisions: UCL
divisions: B02
divisions: C08
divisions: D10
divisions: G11
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, antidepressants, causal associations, dementia, self-controlled case series studies
note: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
abstract: Background:
Given concerns about adverse outcomes for older people taking antidepressants in the literature, we investigated whether taking antidepressants elevates the risk of dementia.

Objective:
This study aims to investigate the putative association of antidepressants with the risk of dementia.

Methods:
We conducted a population-based self-controlled case series analysis of older people with dementia and taking antidepressants, using territory-wide medical records of 194,507 older patients collected by the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong, to investigate the association between antidepressant treatment and the risk of developing dementia in older people.

Results:
There was a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with dementia during the pre-drug-exposed period (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 20.42 (95% CI: 18.66–22.34)) compared to the non-drug-exposed baseline period. The IRR remained high during the drug-exposed period (IRR 8.86 (7.80–10.06)) before returning to a baseline level after washout (IRR 1.12 (0.77–1.36)).

Conclusion:
The higher risk of dementia before antidepressant treatment may be related to emerging psychiatric symptoms co-occurring with dementia, which trigger medical consultations that result in a decision to begin antidepressants. Our findings do not support a causal relationship between antidepressant treatment and the risk of dementia.
date: 2020-11-10
date_type: published
publisher: IOS Press
official_url: https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-200875
oa_status: green
full_text_type: other
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
verified: verified_manual
elements_id: 1811165
doi: 10.3233/JAD-200875
lyricists_name: Wong, Ian
lyricists_id: ICKWO00
actors_name: Austen, Jennifer
actors_id: JAUST66
actors_role: owner
full_text_status: public
publication: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
volume: 78
number: 2
pagerange: 735-744
citation:        Xu, Z;    Yang, J;    Lau, KK;    Yip, PSF;    Wong, I;    Zhang, Q;      (2020)    Understanding the association between antidepressants and the risk of being diagnosed with dementia in older people: a self-controlled case series study.                   Journal of Alzheimer's Disease , 78  (2)   pp. 735-744.    10.3233/JAD-200875 <https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-200875>.       Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10109247/3/Wong_Journal%20of%20Alzheimer%27s%20Disease%202020%20Antidepressant%20and%20Dementia%20final.pdf