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Depression Program Lowers Mortality in Depressed Diabetics

Posted: Thursday, January 10, 2008

Researchers report, that a program can be implemented in primary care practices to reduce the mortality among older diabetics who also have a diagnosis of depression.

Lead author Dr. Hillary R. Bogner, from the University of Pennsylvania, suggests that, these findings should stimulate the development and use of patient treatment programs that better integrate depression treatment with diabetes care,

The findings are based on a study of 584 patients, ranging in age from 60 to 94, diagnosed with depression. Among these patients, 123 also had diabetes.

The patients were drawn from 20 primary care practices in major cities. These primary care practices were randomly assigned to use a program that included a depression care manager who collaborated with a physician. The other patients were randomly assigned to receive the usual care provided by primary care practices.

During an average follow-up period of 52.0 months, 110 deaths occurred among the 584 patients, according to the report. The researchers found that the mortality among the depressed diabetics was lower in the depression treatment group than in the usual care group.

After adjusting for differences in patient characteristics and other factors that could affect their outcome, the diabetics treated in practices with the depression program were 51 percent less likely to die over the next 5 years than were their counterparts who were treated in the usual-care practices.

However, the researchers note, the depression program did not have a statistically significant effect on mortality risk in patients without diabetes.

"These results indicate that a depression care management intervention can significantly reduce all-cause mortality among depressed patients with diabetes," Bogner and colleagues conclude.

Source: Diabetes In Control: Diabetes Care, December 2007.