Efficacy and tolerability of antidepressant therapy in the old-old

As the number of elderly increases worldwide, there will be a concurrent increase in the absolute number of people over 70 years of age who suffer from major depressive disorders. There is a paucity of research in this old-old population, although each of the following drugs has been studied in at least one clinical drug trial: amitriptyline, bupropion, dothiepin, fluoxetine, mianserin, nortriptyline, paroxetine, and sertraline. The results to date, though limited, suggest similar efficacy and greater tolerability of serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors compared with tricyclic antidepressants in the elderly.