Venlafaxine in depressed geriatric outpatients: an open-label clinical study

A 12-month open-label clinical trial was conducted to evaluate patient acceptance and safety of venlafaxine, a novel antidepressant, in ambulatory geriatric depressed patients. The sample consisted of 58 depressed patients aged 65 years and older who needed long-term antidepressant treatment. The setting was multiple study sites in California, Florida, New York, Utah, and Washington. All patients took venlafaxine; 52 qualified for the intent-to-treat analysis, and 24 completed 12 months of treatment. Repeated-measures analysis of variance within subjects showed significant improvements in Clinical Global Impressions severity and improvement, Modified Symptom Checklist, and Quality of Life Questionnaire scores. One patient developed a rash that was judged to be a serious drug-related side effect. The most common side effects were headache (n = 25), nausea (n = 21), insomnia (n = 18), dry mouth (n = 18), and sweating (n = 18). The results demonstrate the safety and patient acceptance of venlafaxine in depressed geriatric outpatients for acute and maintenance treatment.