Depression

BOSTON -- Use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during the first trimester of pregnancy did not significantly increase the risk of congenital heart defects overall, despite FDA and drug maker warnings to the contrary.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A pilot study suggests that patients with long-standing type 2 diabetes should be evaluated for sleep quality, and in those with sleep problems, pain should be assessed as a major contributor.

INDIANAPOLIS -- More than a third of U.S. adults report problems falling asleep or daytime sleepiness, and lack of sleep is linked to one in five serious motor vehicle accidents.

HONOLULU -- Medicare Part D formularies cover nearly all drug classes for treatment of hypertension, hyperlidemia, and depression, with generics accounting for most of the agents.

HOUSTON -- Psoriasis patients who had extended exposure to high-dose etanercept (Enbrel) responded without increased infections or other serious adverse effects, researchers reported.

CINCINNATI -- For treating the chronic pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia, the anticonvulsant gabapentin (Neurontin) proved safe and effective, researchers here reported.

CHICAGO -- Mild cognitive impairment is more likely to develop in those who are beset by chronic mental distress than those who worry the least, concluded researchers here.

SEATTLE -- Women whose sexual desire diminishes during menopause are more likely to report disturbed sleep, night sweats, and depression, researchers here reported.

PHILADELPHIA -- Seven out of 10 patients with chronic insomnia never talk with their doctors about it. Instead, they self-medicate with over-the-counter medicines or alcohol.

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands -- New users who took the street drug Ecstasy for a mean 1.6 months at low cumulative doses showed a decline in verbal recall and recognition.

BOSTON -- Suicidal tendencies that arise in some men who start on the antidepressant citalopram (Celexa) may be linked to genetic mutations, investigators in Boston and Dallas reported.

CHICAGO -- Unless cancer patients have major depression, antidepressants don't seem to do anything for them, Australian researchers have found.

PITTSBURGH -- Adding another drug when older patients don't respond well to an initial course of antidepressants may be of benefit, researchers here suggested.

I am an adult psychiatric nurse practitioner, and a significant part of my practice has been the treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism. Whenever a patient has depression and low energy, I measure free T4, free T3, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. In most of the subclinical hypothyroidism I have detected, the TSH level is normal. In many cases, the only level that is low is the free T3. When liothyronine is prescribed for these patients, their symptoms of depression and tiredness decrease and their need for antidepressants has, in a few cases, been eliminated.

PHILADELPHIA -- Infrequent bowel movements are not the most common symptom in patients with constipation.

DALLAS -- Mice missing a single key gene in their brain tissue are smarter than the average mouse, researchers say.

PHILADELPHIA -- The most obvious clinical feature of obstructive sleep apnea may be weariness of mind, but this breathing disorder also slowly and silently wears down the heart, according to researchers.

SAN DIEGO -- Young suicide victims were significantly more likely to have SSRIs in their bloodstream than were young homicide or accident victims, investigators reported here.

SAN DIEGO -- Emergency department patients who may be suicidal can be identified with a simple tool designed for use by health professionals without a mental health background.

SAN DIEGO -- Despite potential health consequences, the metabolic status of patients appears to have little bearing on clinicians' choices of an atypical antipsychotic agent, said investigators here.

SAN DIEGO -- Antidepressants are widely used to treat depression in bipolar disorder, despite their lack of approval for the indication and limited evidence of efficacy and safety, investigators reported here.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Topical testosterone replacement effectively treats post-prostatectomy hypogonadism with no evidence of serious adverse effects, according to a small trial.

SAN DIEGO -- In utero exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors was not significantly associated with the risk for cardiac malformations or persistent pulmonary hypertension, researchers reported here.

SAN DIEGO -- Aripiprazole (Abilify) may be a useful adjunctive therapy in patients with major depressive disorders who have incomplete responses to antidepressants, researchers reported here.

SAN DIEGO -- The novel serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor desvenlafaxine succinate (Pristiq) was significantly superior to placebo in the treatment of anxiety symptoms in depression, results of a pooled analysis showed.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Better communication with the family of dying ICU patients may reduce their stress, anxiety, and depression, French researchers found.

WASHINGTON -- Overweight children with constipation tend to fare worse than their normal-weight counterparts, but the reasons may be more psychological than biological, researchers suggested here.

DRESDEN, Germany -- Treating Parkinson's disease patients with the antioxidant coenzyme (CoQ10) boosts plasma levels of the substance but doesn't improve disease symptoms, reported investigators here.

IOWA CITY -- Most users of herbal supplements are doing it for anything that ails them, ignoring specific claims of efficacy, however tenuous, found investigators here.

WASHINGTON -- An employee health program incorporating a fitness center, health education, and incentives improved workers' cardiovascular health and workplace safety, investigators reported here.