An Easy Preventive Treatment of Depression Induced by Interferon

Prophylaxis with omega-3s decreases the risk.

Pretreatment with antidepressants can prevent depression caused by interferon-α (IFN) treatment of hepatitis C and other disorders, but antidepressants can be complicated to use in this setting. To find an alternative prophylaxis, researchers examined the effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for just 2 weeks prior to 6 months of treatment with IFN and ribavirin. A total of 162 hepatitis C patients were randomized to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 3.50 g), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 1.75 g), or placebo; 152 completed IFN treatment and were included in the analysis.

Over the course of IFN treatment, the incidence of depression was significantly lower with EPA pretreatment (10%) than with placebo (30%; DHA pretreatment, 28%). When IFN-ind…

Reviewing Author

Steven Dubovsky, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportTower Foundation; Patrick Lee Foundation; Boehringer Ingelheim; Intra-Cellular Therapies; Janssen; Biogen; Allergan

Editorial BoardsMind and Brain; Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic; Current Psychiatry; Journal of Psychosomatic Research

Steven Dubovsky, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportTower Foundation; Patrick Lee Foundation; Boehringer Ingelheim; Intra-Cellular Therapies; Janssen; Biogen; Allergan

Editorial BoardsMind and Brain; Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic; Current Psychiatry; Journal of Psychosomatic Research

An Easy Preventive Treatment of Depression Induced by Interferon

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Reviewing Author