Background The increasing prevalence of heart failure (HF) and high associated costs have spurred investigation of factors leading to adverse outcomes in HF patients. Studies to date report inconsistent evidence regarding the link between depression and outcomes with only limited data on emergency department (ED) and outpatient visits. Methods and Results Olmsted, Dodge, and Fillmore county, MN residents with HF were prospectively recruited between October 2007 and December 2010, and completed a one-time 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression categorized as: none-minimal (PHQ-9 score 0–4), mild (5–9), or moderate-severe (≥10). Andersen-Gill models were used to determine if depression predicted hospitalizations and ED visits while negative binomial regression models explored the association of depression with outpatient visits. Cox proportional hazards regression characterized the relationship between depression and all-cause mortality. Among 402 HF patients (mean age 73±13, 58% male), 15% had moderate-severe depression, 26% mild, and 59% none-minimal. Over a mean follow-up of 1.6 years, 781 hospitalizations, 1000 ED visits, 15,515 outpatient visits, and 74 deaths occurred. After adjustment, moderate-severe depression was associated with nearly a 2-fold increased risk of hospitalization (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.30–2.47) and ED visits (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.34–2.50), a modest increase in outpatient visits (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.00–1.45), and a 4-fold increase in all-cause mortality (HR 4.06, 95% CI 2.35–7.01). Conclusions In this prospective cohort study, depression independently predicted an increase in the use of healthcare resources and mortality. Greater recognition and management of depression in HF may optimize clinical outcomes and resource utilization.
Purpose Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms experienced by patients with cancer. This trial was developed to evaluate the efficacy of long-acting methylphenidate for improving cancer-related fatigue and to assess its toxicities. Patients and Methods Adults with cancer were randomly assigned in a double-blinded manner to receive methylphenidate (target dose, 54 mg/d) or placebo for 4 weeks. The Brief Fatigue Inventory was the primary outcome measure, while secondary outcome measures included a Symptom Experience Diary (SED), the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Vitality Subscale, a linear analog self-assessment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Subject Global Impression of Change. Results In total, 148 patients were enrolled. Using an area under the serum concentration-time curve analysis, there was no evidence that methylphenidate, as compared with placebo, improved the primary end point of cancer-related fatigue in this patient population (P = .35). Comparisons of secondary end points, including clinically significant changes in quality-of-life variables and cancer-related fatigue change from baseline, were similarly negative. However, a subset analysis suggested that patients with more severe fatigue and/or with more advanced disease did have some fatigue improvement with methylphenidate (eg, in patients with stage III or IV disease, the mean improvement in usual fatigue was 19.7 with methylphenidate v 2.1 with placebo; P = .02). There was a significant difference in self-reported toxicities (SED), with increased levels of nervousness and appetite loss in the methylphenidate arm. Conclusion This clinical trial was unable to support the primary prestudy hypothesis that the chosen long-acting methylphenidate product would decrease cancer-related fatigue.
Background-Hot flashes are a complication of androgen deprivation therapy given to men with prostate cancer. A previous clinical study indicated that use of low dose gabapentin (900mg/ day) was well-tolerated and decreased hot flash frequency to a moderate degree for 4 weeks. The purpose of this current study was to examine the efficacy and toxicity of gabapentin over a longer term.
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