Sertraline Is Ineffective in Depressed Patients with Chronic Renal Disease

In the aging U.S. population, depression is increasingly accompanied by medical comorbidity. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects almost 10% of the U.S. population and greatly impairs quality of life. This well-designed, randomized, placebo-controlled, 12-week trial involved 201 ethnoracially diverse patients with CKD (median estimated glomerular filtration rate, 27.5 mL/minute/1.73 m²) not in need of dialysis and with moderate depression (Quick Inventory of Depression Symptomatology–Clinician Rated score, ≥11; mean, 14).

Randomization occurred after a 1-week placebo run-in (to exclude patients with nonadherence or strong placebo response); median sertraline dose was 150 mg. Completion rates were 92% at 6 weeks and 84% at 12 weeks. The sertr…