Depression blood test could lead to personalised treatments

Conclusion This study shows how a new blood test in development can help identify people with depression who are most and least likely to benefit from antidepressants. While promising, the test is far from perfect. For example, it missed 39-43% of non-responders, meaning these people would continue to receive standard antidepressant treatment that is unlikely to work for them. A large proportion of patients (22-38%) also fell into the "intermediate" group who were neither responders nor non-responders, so the test wasn't too useful here. This means there is a significant proportion of people with depression who would not necessarily benefit from this test. However, we shouldn't be overly negative. A significant proportion of people were identified correctly as responders and non-responders, which is a big step forward on what happens today. The study was based on less than 200 people with depression, far too few to conclude whether it works well in most people with depression. Larger studies involving many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people will be needed to establish this, and is the natural next step for this research.   Links To The Headlines New blood test targets depression. BBC News, June 7 2016 Blood test could identify people who will respond to antidepressants. The Guardian, June 7 2016 Simple blood test could stop doctors using 'trial and error' to prescribe antidepressants, scientists claim. The Daily Telegraph, June 7 2016 Depression patie...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Medication Source Type: news