New drug candidates for depression - a nationwide population-based study

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Psychiatry
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Depression is a significant public health concern.
• Medications targeting inflammation and stress response pathways are being explored for depression treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between continued use of specific medications and the incidence of depression.
• To identify potential drug repurposing opportunities for depression treatment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Danish nationwide population-based registers from 1995-2015.
• Included over 1.5 million subjects exposed to non-aspirin NSAIDs, low-dose aspirin, high-dose aspirin, statins, allopurinol, or angiotensin agents.
• Assessed depression using psychiatric diagnoses and antidepressant use.

Main Results:

• Continued use of low-dose aspirin, statins, allopurinol, and angiotensin agents was associated with a reduced rate of incident depression.
• Continued use of non-aspirin NSAIDs and high-dose aspirin was linked to an increased rate of incident depression.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest that agents modulating inflammation and stress response may have a role in depression.
• Population-based registers are valuable for identifying drugs with repurposing potential for depression.