Treating concurrent chronic low back pain and depression with low-dose venlafaxine: an initial identification of "easy-to-use" clinical predictors of early response.
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ABSTRACT: Depression and chronic low back pain (CLBP) are both frequent and commonly comorbid in older adults seeking primary care. Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as venlafaxine may be effective in treating comorbid depression and CLBP. For patients with comorbid depression and CLBP, our goal was to identify "easy-to-use" early clinical variables associated with response to 6 weeks of low-dose venlafaxine pharmacotherapy that could be used to construct a clinically useful predictive model in future studies.We report data from the first 140 patients completing phase 1 of the Addressing Depression and Pain Together clinical trial. Patients aged ?60 with concurrent depression and CLBP received 6 weeks of open-label venlafaxine 150?mg/day and supportive management. Using univariate and multivariate methods, we examined a variety of clinical predictors and their association with response to both depression and CLBP; change in depression; and change in pain scores at 6 weeks.About 26.4% of patients responded for both depression and pain with venlafaxine. Early improvement in pain at 2 weeks predicted improved response rates (P?=?0.027). Similarly, positive changes in depression and pain at 2 weeks independently predicted continued improvement at 6 weeks in depression and pain, respectively (P?
SUBMITTER: Rej S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4111978 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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