Gender Influences Effectiveness of Antidepressants

The results of the largest-ever federal study of depression are in, and the link between gender and treatment is clearer than ever before, Newsweek reports. Men and premenopausal women respond differently to different formulations of drugs, suggesting the strong influence of estrogen and reinforcing the gap between two commonly prescribed classes of drugs: tricyclics, which are more effective in men, and SSRIs, to which women respond more readily.

Female participants in the new study were 33% more likely than male counterparts to achieve full remission on the popular drug citalopram, aka Celexa. "These results are very exciting because they give more confirmation that gender is a factor that should be considered when prescribing treatment for depression," says a leader of the $35 million study. (More medical study stories.)