Depression Common Among Racial & Ethnic Minority Patients Who Have Osteoarthritis.

Major depression is common among African Americans and Hispanics who have osteoarthritis, according to findings presented today at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) annual meeting. The analysis is the first systematic study to examine this association among racial and ethnic minority patients.

Based on standardized self-report criteria, 19 percent of both African Americans and Hispanics with osteoarthritis had depressive symptoms consistent with major depression. Approximately 20 million Americans suffer from major depression within any given year.

“Osteoarthritis can make it difficult for an individual to function, and the added burden of major depression can make matters even worse,” said Luis Espinoza, MD, Louisiana State University, Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology. “These findings underscore for clinicians the importance of screening for depression in osteoarthritis patients and monitoring their symptoms during pain treatment. If depression symptoms do not improve with pain treatment, clinicians may consider a treatment specifically for depression.”

The analysis assessed baseline levels of depression among 640 individuals (322 African Americans and 318 Hispanics) diagnosed with osteoarthritis and participating in two separate, identically designed studies of arthritis pain medications. The level of depression was assessed by a standard instrument, the PHQ-9 (the depression portion of the Patient Health Questionnaire of the Prime-MD(TM), a screening tool developed by Pfizer Inc to help primary care physicians diagnose psychiatric disorders. Based on a PHQ-9 cut-off score of 10 points, major depression was found in 19.3 percent of American Americans and 19.2 percent of Hispanics. Among patients who reported any depressive symptoms, 73 percent of African Americans and 65 percent of Hispanics reported that the symptoms made it at least somewhat difficult to function.

Osteoarthritis is characterized by the breakdown of joint cartilage, causing bones to rub against each other, and resulting in pain and loss of movement. The condition affects an estimated 20.7 million Americans, mostly after age 45, and is more common in women than men.

Osteoarthritis is responsible for more than seven million physician visits per year. Musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis cost the U.S. economy nearly $65 billion per year in direct expenses and lost wages and production.

Major depression is characterized by depressed mood and/or the loss of interest or pleasure in most activities for a period of at least two weeks, in combination with other symptoms that may include weight gain or loss or changes in appetite, sleep disturbances, fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, diminished ability to think or concentrate and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Pfizer is committed to pioneering targeted, innovative therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders. The company’s knowledge and expertise in the areas of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy have helped bring effective treatments to market.

Neurologic and psychiatric disorders represent one of the highest research priorities at Pfizer. Of the company’s total R&D investment of $5.2 billion, the largest of any healthcare research company in the world, more than $1 billion is allocated to the development of more effective neuroscience compounds.

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