Video - Anti-Depressants No
Better Than Placebos, Study Suggests
Voedingssupplement zuivere
ethyl-EPA is even doeltreffend als medicatie (fluoxetine) in de behandeling van depressie
Volgens een dubbel-blind gerandomiseerde
studie, gepubliceerd in de maart 2008 editie van het tijdschrift Australian and New
Zealand Journal of Psychiatry[***]
Een nieuwe studie laat op een veelbelovende
manier zien dat het omega-3 vetzuur eicosapentaeenzuur (EPA) een sterk therapeutisch
effect heeft bij patiënten met klinisch gediagnosticeerde depressie. Het
voedingssupplement scoort even goed als de geijkte medicatie die voor depressie wordt
gebruikt.
De combinatie van beide middelen doet het significant beter.
Dr. Myriam Peeters, psychiater in Lier:
"Depressie is een ernstige aandoening waaraan 1 tot 1,7 miljoen Belgen in de loop van
hun leven leiden. Resultaten van eerdere onderzoeken lieten al zien dat mensen met
depressie baat kunnen hebben bij zuivere ethyl-EPA. De studie van Jazayeri en collega's
bevestigt dit. De studie suggereert eveneens dat de combinatie van fluoxetine en 1 gram
EPA/dag een sterker antidepressief effect heeft dan fluoxetine of EPA alleen. Een
belangrijke bevinding. Niet enkel in de behandeling van depressie, maar ook in de
preventie van hart- en vaatziekten, die vaker voorkomen met mensen die aan depressie
lijden. Bijzonder fascinerend: de Japanse JELIS studie (waarin 1.8 g EPA/d gecombineerd
werd
met statines) bewees onlangs dat EPA ook hart- en vaatziekten kan helpen voorkomen. Omega
3, en in het bijzonder zuivere ethyl-EPA, lijkt bij te dragen tot zowel een betere
stemming als een verlaagd risico op
cardiovasculaire problemen."
Meer informatie over het onderzoek:
- Op een gerandomiseerde wijze kregen 60
poliklinische patiënten met een depressie gedurende 8 weken ofwel 1000 mg ethyl-EPA per
dag, ofwel 20 mg fluoxetine per dag, ofwel een combinatie van beiden. Ze
werden om de twee weken geëvalueerd.
- Op basis van de Hamilton depressieschaal
(Hamilton Depression Rating Scale of HDRS) vertoonden deze patiënten bij aanvang van de
studie een score van minstens 15 punten op de 17-item HDRS. 48 deelnemers kwamen in
aanmerking voor een responsanalyse (16 uit elke studiegroep).
- De studie liet zien dat:
- Het geneesmiddel fluoxetine en het
voedingssupplement zuivere ethyl-EPA even doeltreffend de depressieve symptomen onder
controle hielden (na evaluatie van een 50% reductie in HDRS-scores).
- De ethyl-EPA+fluoxetine combinatie nog
significant betere resultaten geeft.
- Het zuivere ethyl-EPA-product dat in deze
studie werd gebruikt, was PlusEPA van Minami Nutrition NV. Een product van farmaceutische
zuiverheid, geproduceerd via een hexaanvrij, gepatenteerd EFP(TM)
(Environmentally Friendly Purified) CO2-distillatieproces, wat het voedingssupplement
uiterst geschikt maakt voor klinische toepassingen.
Comparison of therapeutic effects of omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid and
fluoxetine, separately and in combination, in major depressive order, Australian and New
Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42:3, 192- 198.
Antidepressiva werken niet beter dan placebo's !! Big pharma
opnieuw onderuit
This study is sending shockwaves through
the medical community. It finally reveals the Big Pharma hoax behind antidepressant drugs.
Through fraudulent science and clever marketing, drug companies have managed to take a
drug that works no better than placebo and turn it into a multi-billion dollar scam. But
the truth is finally out: Taking Prozac is no more effective than taking a sugar pill!
Hundreds of millions of consumers have been fooled by the quack science supporting modern
pharmaceutical medicine.
Initial Severity and Antidepressant Benefits - A Meta-Analysis of
Data Submitted to the Food and Drug Administration
These findings suggest that, compared with placebo, the new-generation antidepressants do
not produce clinically significant improvements in depression in patients who initially
have moderate or even very severe depression, but show significant effects only in the
most severely depressed patients. The findings also show that the effect for these
patients seems to be due to decreased responsiveness to placebo, rather than increased
responsiveness to medication. Given these results, the researchers conclude that there is
little reason to prescribe new-generation antidepressant medications to any but the most
severely depressed patients unless alternative treatments have been ineffective. In
addition, the finding that extremely depressed patients are less responsive to placebo
than less severely depressed patients but have similar responses to antidepressants is a
potentially important insight into how patients with depression respond to antidepressants
and placebos that should be investigated further.
Serotonine en depressies - geen
aansluiting tussen wetenschappelijke studies en advertenties
Volgens onderzoekers is er geen enkele
studie (peer reviewed) die aantoont dat er een relatie is tussen serotonine tekort en
mentale ziekten. Het is namelijk niet mogelijk serotonine levels te meten in de hersenen
van een levend persoon.
Anja Lok en psychiater Aart Schene
ontdekten dat in het bloed
van patienten met terugkerende depressies minder omega-3 vetzuren en meer homocysteine
voorkomt dan bij gezonde mensen. Deze veranderde vetzuurspiegel werd ook gevonden bij
patienten die al hersteld waren van hun depressie, waardoor het onderzoek mogelijk de
opmaat is naar een nieuwe biologische marker voor terugkerende depressiviteit. De
definitieve resultaten van deze Delta-studie worden echter pas in de loop van volgend jaar
verwacht, als ook de gegevens van een follow-up geanalyseerd zijn.
Onderzoekers van het Diabetes Preventie
Programma, gesponsord door het National Institutes of Health concluderen na een grote
studie naar het effect van medicijnen en preventie van diabetes dat niet depressie zelf
maar juist de medicatie voor een twee tot drie keer hoge kans op diabetes zorgde.
Zelftherapie effectief bij
chronische angst en depressie
Cognitieve zelftherapie als onderdeel van
een behandelprogramma kan het
aantal bezoeken aan professionals in de geestelijke gezondheidszorg
verminderen. Zelftherapie verdient een plaats in de behandeling van
langdurende en terugkerende depressie en angst, mits patiënten gemotiveerd zijn en zelf
controle hebben over agressief of suïcidaal gedrag. Dit blijkt uit onderzoek van Peter
den Boer van het Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen.
Cognitieve zelftherapie is een nieuw
behandelprogramma van zelfhulp, dat wordt toegepast in de geestelijke gezondheidszorg. Het
programma is bestemd voor patiënten die al eerder behandelingen hebben ondergaan voor
emotionele stoornissen of problematiek rond hun persoonlijkheid. Doel is dat patiënten
zelf de controle over hun behandeling vergroten. Het is een gestructureerde vorm van
therapie als onderdeel van een reguliere behandeling. Het programma bevat enkele cursussen
en meerdere zelftherapie bijeenkomsten.
Minder klachten
Uit de resultaten van het onderzoek van
Peter den Boer blijkt dat het cognitieve zelftherapie programma een waardevolle aanvulling
biedt op het aanbod van bestaande behandelingen. De deelnemers waren zeer tevreden over
het verloop van de zelftherapie. Zij konden wat ze leerden via cognitieve zelftherapie
meteen in hun dagelijks leven toepassen. Dit uitte zich in een duidelijke vermindering van
hun klachten.
Doelmatigheid
Den Boer onderzocht de doelmatigheid van
cognitieve zelftherapie bij behandeling van emotionele stoornissen als chronische
depressie en angst. Hij vergeleek de resultaten van patiënten die cognitieve zelftherapie
volgden met patiënten die een andere vorm van behandeling ondergingen. Hij volgde 151
patiënten en bekeek op drie verschillende momenten hun klachten, sociaal functioneren,
kwaliteit van leven en de zorgconsumptie. Het bleek dat de groep die cognitieve
zelftherapie deden, minder vaak contact hadden met therapeuten en minder vaak opgenomen
moesten worden. Het gebruik van medicatie was bij beide groepen even groot. Het aantal
klachten, het
sociaal functioneren en de kwaliteit van leven verbeterden evenveel bij beide groepen.
Bron: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
Denkprocessen en niet pillen
doorslaggevend bij depressie
De psychiatrie is momenteel te ver doorgeslagen in de biologische richting. Dit betoogt
prof.dr. Anne Speckens, als hoogleraar psychiatrie verbonden aan het Universitair Medisch
Centrum St Radboud in haar oratie. De biologische psychiatrie vergroot via genetisch
onderzoek en neuro-imaging weliswaar het inzicht in het ontstaan van psychische ziekten,
maar draagt nog weinig bij aan een betere behandeling. Bij een depressie heeft praten op
termijn meer effect dan pillen, stelt zij.
Het effect van antidepressiva verdwijnt zodra je ermee stopt, terwijl cognitieve
therapieën ook op de langere termijn effectief zijn. Daarom vindt de nieuwe hoogleraar
Anne Speckens het jammer, dat er vandaag de dag veel meer geld en energie gestoken wordt
in biologische dan in psychologische behandelingen van depressie. Speckens denkt dat de
lobby van de farmaceutische industrie en het tekort aan cognitief gedragstherapeuten
hierbij een rol spelen. Een oplossing zou kunnen zijn om psychiatrisch verpleegkundigen te
specialiseren tot cognitief gedragstherapeuten, zegt zij.
Insuline wordt geproduceerd door de Eilandjes van Langerhans die in de alvleesklier
liggen. Als het suikergehalte in uw bloed stijgt, zet insuline een gedeelte van die
glucose om in glycogeen, een zetmeel dat in de spieren en de lever wordt opgeslagen en dat
direct als brandstof dienst kan doen. Als alle glycogeenreservoirs vol zitten en zich in
het bloed meer glucose bevindt dan het lichaam op dat moment nodig heeft, zal insuline
deze overmaat omzetten in vetweefsel, waarvan triglyceride de belangrijkste chemische
component is.Dat is dus de reden dat je dik kan worden van anti-depressiva en
anti-psychotica. Bij anti-psychotica vormt er zelfs een risico op diabetes type 2.
Schimmels in huis gelinkt aan
depressie en stemmingsveranderingen
Mold in the Home Linked to Mood Swings,
Depression
People living in a moldy home may be more
likely to suffer from depression, according to a new study conducted by researchers from
the Brown School of Medicine in Providence, R.I., and published in the American Journal of
Public Health. Researchers examined data from World Health Organization interviews of
5,882 adults residing in eight different European cities. They found that those who lived
in damp, moldy homes were more likely to report symptoms of depression, including sleep
disturbances and lowered appetite or self-esteem.
New research suggests that antidepressant medication for those with bipolar disorder is no
more effective than a sugar pill placebo. Bipolar disorder, a mental illness characterized
by severe mood swings, is usually treated with mood-stabilizing drugs such as lithium,
valproate, or carbamazepine.
Treatment of mice with a ‘friendly’ bacteria, normally found in the soil,
altered their behavior in a way similar to that produced by antidepressant drugs, reports
research published in the latest issue of Neuroscience. These findings, identified by
researchers at the University of Bristol and colleagues at University College London, aid
the understanding of why an imbalance in the immune system leaves some individuals
vulnerable to mood disorders like depression. Dr Chris Lowry, lead author on the paper
from Bristol University, said: “These studies help us understand how the body
communicates with the brain and why a healthy immune system is important for maintaining
mental health. They also leave us wondering if we shouldn’t all be spending more time
playing in the dirt.”
High-quality child care for
low-income children offset the risk of later depression
Young adults from low-income families who were in full-time early educational child care
from infancy to age 5 reported fewer symptoms of depression than their peers who were not
in this type of care, according to a new report. The early educational intervention also
appears to have protected the children to some extent against the negative effects of
their home environments.
There is no convincing evidence that taking omega-3 fatty acids on their own can alleviate
depression, says Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB).
And there is only limited evidence that they can relieve depression when used in
combination with antidepressant drugs, it adds. Evidence from circumstantial research has
suggested links between omega-3 levels and behaviour and mood disorders, such as
depression.
And the findings have attracted widespread attention. Omega-3 fatty acids are
polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs, which include ALA, EPA, and DHA. They are involved
in chemical messaging in the brain, and help regulate blood vessel activity and aspects of
the immune system that affect the central nervous system. [Ben Licher]
A study at the University Clinics of Bonn and Cologne gives people with therapy-resistant
depression reason for hope. The doctors treated two men and a woman with what is known as
deep brain stimulation. During the simulation the condition of two of the three patients
improved within a few days. The results of the preliminary study have now been published
in the renowned journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Without the ability to cope, a lobotomy would surely open the doors to all kinds of
craziness from the nastiness in the world....depression, suicide, and murder become a
reality...And this is exactly what an SSRI (antidepressant) can potentially do at the
molecular level - remove that portion of your brain that helps you cope.
A new study suggests that about a quarter of the people who have been diagnosed with
depression may actually be dealing with the normal and expected emotions associated with
loss or traumatic events.
Specifically, the more omega-6 fatty acids people had in their blood compared with omega-3
fatty acid levels, the more likely they were to suffer from symptoms of depression and
have higher blood levels of inflammation-promoting compounds, report Dr. Janice K.
Kiecolt-Glaser and her colleagues from Ohio State University College of Medicine in
Columbus.
Reports have surfaced that the accused murderer of 33 people at Virginia Tech was briefly
under medical care for depression. So the question naturally arises: was he taking SSRI
antidepressants? Prozac? Zoloft? Paxil? These drugs are known to cause suicides and
murders. That is, the person taking them kills himself or others. Glaxo, the maker of
Paxil, has been under the gun for some time now, because it knew Paxil had problems and
concealed those problems from the FDA and doctors and the public.
Study sees major depression
connection to diabetes
lderly people who are depressed are more likely to become diabetic than those who are not,
according to a study that suggests depression mayplay a role in causing the most common
form of diabetes. [Ben Licher]
Depression Increases Health Risks in
Heart Failure Patients
Psychological depression appears to contribute to worse medical outcomes for patients with
heart failure, ranking it in importance with such risk factors as high cholesterol,
hypertension, and even the ability of the heart to pump blood throughout the body.
After taking into account such factors as disease severity, the strength of the heart
muscle contractions, the underlying cause for the heart failure, age and medication use, a
team of Duke University Medical Center and University of North Carolina researchers found
that symptoms of depression were common in this population, and that depressed patients
were over 50 percent more likely to die or be hospitalized for their heart condition than
patients who were not depressed.
Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, is marked by the inability of the
heart muscle to pump enough oxygen and nutrients in the blood to the body's tissues. A
variety of factors can cause heart failure, including infections of the heart, coronary
artery disease, high blood pressure, previous heart attacks and a malfunctioning heart
valve. An estimated 4.7 million Americans have heart failure, with 400,000 new cases
reported each year, and it is the only cardiovascular disease that is rising in incidence,
according to the researchers. About half of heart failure patients will die within five
years of diagnosis.
"While many studies have linked depression to worse outcomes for patients with heart
disease, there has been uncertainty about the extent to which depression is related to the
adverse medical outcomes independent of known medical risk factors," said James
Blumenthal, Ph.D., co-author of the study and a clinical psychologist at Duke.
Omega-3s Boost Grey Matter, Findings
May Explain Why Omega-3s Seem To Improve Mood
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish like salmon, are associated with increased grey
matter volume in areas of the brain commonly linked to mood and behavior according to a
University of Pittsburgh study.
Findings will be presented today by Sarah M. Conklin, Ph.D., postdoctoral scholar at the
Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program in the department of psychiatry at the
University of Pittsburgh, at the American Psychosomatic Society’s Annual Meeting,
held in Budapest, Hungary.
Animal research has shown that raising omega-3 intake leads to structural brain changes.
In a separate study presented by Dr. Conklin at the society’s meeting last year, Pitt
researchers reported that people who had lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were
more likely to have a negative outlook and be more impulsive. Conversely, those with
higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable and less likely to report
mild or moderate symptoms of depression. In the study being presented today, the
researchers sought to investigate if grey matter volume was proportionally related to
long-chain omega-3 intake in humans, especially in areas of the brain related to mood,
helping them attempt to explain the mechanisms behind the improvement in mood often
associated with long-chain omega-3 intake.
Scientists have discovered that having both depression and type 2 diabetes can increase
the risk of death for heart patients. Although the mechanism by which the disease
combinations act together has not been identified, the sinister relationship was clear as
the risk of dying was increased by 20 to 30 percent.
Thousands of British teenagers could be suffering from depression because of a poor diet,
a leading scientist warned yesterday. Research had linked depression in young people to a
low intake of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients such as Omega 3 fatty
acids, said Cambridge University scientist Diane Bamber.
Serotonin Syndrome - A Mix of
Medicines That Can Be Lethal
Serotonin syndrome can occur at any age, including in the elderly, in newborns and even in
dogs. Since 1998, the poison control center at the American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals has gotten more than a thousand reports of the ingestion of
antidepressant medications by dogs, which can develop symptoms rapidly and die. The
syndrome can also occur weeks after a serotonin-raising drug has been discontinued. Some
drugs remain active in the body for weeks"
In the largest study of psychotherapy delivered over the telephone, researchers report
positive long-term effects for individuals who receive brief telephone-based psychotherapy
soon after starting on antidepressant medication.
According to a new study, an individual's diet may not only lead them to be at risk of
developing certain inflammatory diseases but may also place them at risk for clinical
depression. Researchers say a diet should contain a better balance of omega-6 and omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids. [Ben Licher]
Breastfeeding and good fats help new
moms fight depression
Breastfeeding and the good fats in Omega-3 fatty acids help new moms fight depression,
according to a new article published in the most recent issue of the International
Breastfeeding Journal by a University of New Hampshire researcher.
Stress and nerve cells survival in
rats; finding may open window for depression treatment
A single, socially stressful situation can kill off new nerve cells in the brain region
that processes learning, memory, and emotion, and possibly contribute to depression, new
animal research shows.
Researchers found that in young rats, the stress of encountering aggressive, older rats
did not stop the generation of new nerve cells—the first step in the process of
neurogenesis. But stress did prevent the cells, located in the hippocampus, from
surviving, leaving fewer new neurons for processing feelings and emotions. The hippocampus
is one of two regions of the brain that continues to develop new nerve cells throughout
life, in both rats and humans. The reduction of neurogenesis could be one cause of
depression, says senior author Daniel Peterson, PhD, of the Rosalind Franklin University
of Medicine and Science, near Chicago. His team reports their findings in the March 14
issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
"This is strong evidence that the effects of social stress on neurogenesis occur
after a delay of 24 hours or more, providing a possible time window for treatment after
acute episodes of stress," says Henriette van Praag, PhD, of the Salk Institute for
Biological Studies.
Since 1988 the pharmaceutical companies
(starting with Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of "Prozac") have advertised to the
people (direct to consumer) as well as to their family doctors, that if you suffer from
depressive feelings, you must have a "biochemical imbalance" in your brain. The
advertising finger was pointed at the neurotransmitter "serotonin", and it is
used to explain nearly any emotional problem a person might have nowadays. Many other
pharmaceutical companies came out with so many variants on the SSRI-antidepressant to try
and capitalize on its popularity, by spreading this theory even further amongst the
people. Theory? Yes, only a theory!
The Truth is that nobody in the medical
field really knows if a "biochemical imbalance" is the cause of any mental
disorder, and they do not know how even the hypothesized "biochemical
imbalances" could produce the emotional, cognitive, and behavioural symptoms that
characterize any mental disorder. Clever marketing tactics exercised on us by the
pharmaceutical industry, prevailed above scientifical evidence and research. Greed,
dis-respect and contempt of the population, prevailed above altruism, medical care and
responsibility. It's the greatest shame of of this era.
Scientists, linking gene with serotonin
and depression, offer insights to new treatments
For the more than 18 million Americans who suffer from depressive illnesses, the best
pharmacological treatments are those that increase levels of serotonin, the brain chemical
that regulates mood, sleep and memory. New research by an international team of
scientists, led by Rockefeller University researchers in Paul Greengard’s laboratory
of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, shows that a gene called p11 is closely related to
serotonin transmission in the brain – and may play a key role in determining a
person’s susceptibility to depression. The newly discovered link between depression
and the serotonin system, reported in the January 6 issue of the journal Science, could
lead to new treatments for these mental disorders.
