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Psychotropic Drugs in Patients with Cushing's Disease Before Diagnosis and at Long-Term Follow-Up : A Nationwide Study

Bengtsson, Daniel LU ; Ragnarsson, Oskar ; Berinder, Katarina ; Dahlqvist, Per ; Edén Engström, Britt ; Ekman, Bertil ; Höybye, Charlotte ; Burman, Pia LU and Wahlberg, Jeanette (2021) In The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 106(6). p.1750-1760
Abstract

CONTEXT: Psychiatric symptoms are common in Cushing's disease (CD) and seem only partly reversible following treatment. OBJECTIVE: To investigate drug dispenses associated to psychiatric morbidity in CD patients before treatment and during long-term follow-up. DESIGN: Nationwide longitudinal register-based study. SETTING: University Hospitals in Sweden. SUBJECTS: CD patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2018 (N = 372) were identified in the Swedish Pituitary Register. Longitudinal data was collected from 5 years before, at diagnosis, and during follow-up. Four matched controls per patient were included. Cross-sectional subgroup analysis of 76 patients in sustained remission was also performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data from the Swedish... (More)

CONTEXT: Psychiatric symptoms are common in Cushing's disease (CD) and seem only partly reversible following treatment. OBJECTIVE: To investigate drug dispenses associated to psychiatric morbidity in CD patients before treatment and during long-term follow-up. DESIGN: Nationwide longitudinal register-based study. SETTING: University Hospitals in Sweden. SUBJECTS: CD patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2018 (N = 372) were identified in the Swedish Pituitary Register. Longitudinal data was collected from 5 years before, at diagnosis, and during follow-up. Four matched controls per patient were included. Cross-sectional subgroup analysis of 76 patients in sustained remission was also performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and the Patient Register. RESULTS: In the 5-year period before and at diagnosis, use of antidepressants (odds ratio [OR] 2.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-3.7]) and 2.3 [1.6-3.5]), anxiolytics [2.9 (1.6-5.3) and 3.9 (2.3-6.6)], and sleeping pills [2.1 (1.2-3.7) and 3.8 (2.4-5.9)] was more common in CD than controls. ORs remained elevated at 5-year follow-up for antidepressants [2.4 (1.5-3.9)] and sleeping pills [3.1 (1.9-5.3)]. Proportions of CD patients using antidepressants (26%) and sleeping pills (22%) were unchanged at diagnosis and 5-year follow-up, whereas drugs for hypertension and diabetes decreased. Patients in sustained remission for median 9.3 years (interquartile range 8.1-10.4) had higher use of antidepressants [OR 2.0 (1.1-3.8)] and sleeping pills [2.4 (1.3-4.7)], but not of drugs for hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Increased use of psychotropic drugs in CD was observed before diagnosis and remained elevated regardless of remission status, suggesting persisting negative effects on mental health. The study highlights the importance of early diagnosis of CD, and the need for long-term monitoring of mental health.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cushing’s syndrome, depression, hypercortisolism, neuropsychiatry, sleeping disorder
in
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
volume
106
issue
6
pages
11 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85106540459
  • pmid:33567076
ISSN
1945-7197
DOI
10.1210/clinem/dgab079
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b5b76a88-1431-4900-a2b6-b61c3465cd1c
date added to LUP
2021-06-08 16:31:37
date last changed
2024-06-16 14:45:17
@article{b5b76a88-1431-4900-a2b6-b61c3465cd1c,
  abstract     = {{<p>CONTEXT: Psychiatric symptoms are common in Cushing's disease (CD) and seem only partly reversible following treatment. OBJECTIVE: To investigate drug dispenses associated to psychiatric morbidity in CD patients before treatment and during long-term follow-up. DESIGN: Nationwide longitudinal register-based study. SETTING: University Hospitals in Sweden. SUBJECTS: CD patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2018 (N = 372) were identified in the Swedish Pituitary Register. Longitudinal data was collected from 5 years before, at diagnosis, and during follow-up. Four matched controls per patient were included. Cross-sectional subgroup analysis of 76 patients in sustained remission was also performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and the Patient Register. RESULTS: In the 5-year period before and at diagnosis, use of antidepressants (odds ratio [OR] 2.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-3.7]) and 2.3 [1.6-3.5]), anxiolytics [2.9 (1.6-5.3) and 3.9 (2.3-6.6)], and sleeping pills [2.1 (1.2-3.7) and 3.8 (2.4-5.9)] was more common in CD than controls. ORs remained elevated at 5-year follow-up for antidepressants [2.4 (1.5-3.9)] and sleeping pills [3.1 (1.9-5.3)]. Proportions of CD patients using antidepressants (26%) and sleeping pills (22%) were unchanged at diagnosis and 5-year follow-up, whereas drugs for hypertension and diabetes decreased. Patients in sustained remission for median 9.3 years (interquartile range 8.1-10.4) had higher use of antidepressants [OR 2.0 (1.1-3.8)] and sleeping pills [2.4 (1.3-4.7)], but not of drugs for hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Increased use of psychotropic drugs in CD was observed before diagnosis and remained elevated regardless of remission status, suggesting persisting negative effects on mental health. The study highlights the importance of early diagnosis of CD, and the need for long-term monitoring of mental health.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bengtsson, Daniel and Ragnarsson, Oskar and Berinder, Katarina and Dahlqvist, Per and Edén Engström, Britt and Ekman, Bertil and Höybye, Charlotte and Burman, Pia and Wahlberg, Jeanette}},
  issn         = {{1945-7197}},
  keywords     = {{Cushing’s syndrome; depression; hypercortisolism; neuropsychiatry; sleeping disorder}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1750--1760}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism}},
  title        = {{Psychotropic Drugs in Patients with Cushing's Disease Before Diagnosis and at Long-Term Follow-Up : A Nationwide Study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgab079}},
  doi          = {{10.1210/clinem/dgab079}},
  volume       = {{106}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}