Vol.2, No.2, 234-237 (2012) Journal of Diabetes Mellitus http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jdm.2012.22037 Use of antidepressants in diabetes patients not using drugs, but only monitoring blood glucose * Oivind Hundal 1,2# , Eva Biringer 2,3 , Inge Losnegard 4 , Anders Lund 2 1 Moodnet, Sjukehusapoteka Vest HF, Bergen, Norway; # Corresponding Author: oivind.hundal@kliniskmedisin.uib.no 2 Moodnet, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway 3 Psychiatric Clinic, Helse Fonna HF, Stord, Norway 4 Helse Bergen HF, Bergen, Norway Received 11 January 2012; revised 29 February 2012; accepted 28 March 2012 ABSTRACT Objective: Patients with diabetes have an in- creased Odds Ratio (OR) for depressive disor- der. We wanted to investigate if patients with metabolic syndrome and/or diabetes type 2 not treated with antidiabetic agents, have an OR for concurrent antidepressant use comparable to other types of diabetes. Methods: Drug delivery data from 25 pharmacies were analysed with respect to sale of antidepressants, oral antidia- betic agents, insulin and blood glucose test strips. Results: Total population of the area was 337,019, whereas 254,083 were 18 or older. Of these 20,139 were patients receiving insulin, oral antidiabetics, glucose test strips and/or antide- pressants. Those receiving antidepressants were 5.8% of those 18 or older whereas 2.4% received any antidiabetic medication (including test strips for HBGM). For patients receiving no medica- tions but test strips alone, the adjusted OR for use concurrent use of antidepressants was 1.62 (95% confidence interval: 1.19 - 2.23), p = 0.002. For insulin-only receiving patients, the adjusted OR was 1.65 (1.41 - 1.93), p = 0.000, whereas for patients receiving only oral antidiabetics, it was 1.53 (1.38 - 1.71), p = 0.000. Patients receiving both insulin and oral antidiabetics: 2.23 (1.75 - 2.85), p = 0.000. Conclusion: Patients receiving only blood glucose strips have an OR of con- currently receiving antidepressants, not differ- ent from those receiving insulin only or oral antidiabetics only. Keywords: Type 2 Diabetes; Metabolic Syndrome; Blood Glucose Strips; Depression; Comorbidity 1. INTRODUCTION The British physician Thomas Willis in 1684 de- scribed diabetes as “sadness or long sorrow and other depressions and disorders”. Several studies have ad- dressed the apparent connection between major depres- sive disorder and diabetes. And this association is now well established for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes [1-4]. There is no clear-cut division between metabolic syn- drome and type 2 diabetes. Rather a continuum from metabolic syndrome via diet-only regulated diabetes to diabetes type 2 treated with oral antidiabetics. We have found no studies that address diabetes type 2 patients that are treated with neither insulin nor oral antidiabetic agents, but only use blood glucose strips for home blood glucose monitoring (HBGM). As these pa- tients do not use drugs as such for their diabetes, they are not found in prescription registries. Manual collection of data on test strips for HBGM is then relevant. The aims of the present study were: First to describe the Odds Ratio (OR) of use of antidepressants in patients with receiving only insulin, only oral antidiabetics, or receiving blood glucose strips. Second to compare the ORs within the different types of diabetes. 2. METHODS In Norway all drugs for regular and longlasting use are covered by the public health care system. A prerequisite is that the physician uses the authorised “Blue prescrip- tion” which is mandatory for drugs reimbursed by the health system. All patients receiving this type of pre- scription have relevant and confirmed diagnoses. At each delivery the patients receive sufficient medication and/or equipment for 3 months use. Blood glucose strips are covered the same way as insulin and oral antidiabetics. The patients in this study have all been to the pharmacy and obtained their medication and/or blood glucose strips. * Disclosure: None of the authors have any interests to declare. Copyright © 2012 SciRes. OPEN ACCESS