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Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is highly prevalent in older adults and can increase the risk for, and the severity of, medical illnesses that are already common in this age group. Benzodiazepines, despite their multiple adverse effects, are the only class of medication widely used and carefully studied in this age group. In a well-designed, 12-week, placebo-controlled study, researchers examined the efficacy and safety of the SSRI escitalopram (10–20 mg) in 177 adults aged 60 or older and diagnosed with GAD.
Approximately 18% of participants in each group dropped out. Escitalopram recipients had significantly higher mean cumulative response than placebo recipients (60% vs. 45%) in a modified intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis (of participant…