THE INCIDENCE OF DEPRESSION IN NEW USERS OF BETA-BLOCKERS AND SELECTED ANTIHYPERTENSIVES

We studied the occurrence of depression in new users of propranolol (n = 704), other betablockers (n = 587), angiotensin-converting enzyme i nhibitors (n = 976), calcium channel blockers (n = 742), and diuretics (n = 773) in the Harvard Community Health Plan population. The period of the study was from April 1988 to June 1991. All study subjects wer e followed for new or newly recurrent depression for up to 6 months af ter receiving their first study prescription, Case status was confirme d by blinded medical record review. We found 10 cases of depression th at met DSM-III-R criteria (''major depression'') and an additional 18 cases that had one or more symptoms consistent with depression (''mino r depression''). Rates of major depression in users of beta blockers a nd users of non beta-blocker study drugs were 5.8 per 1000 person-year s of exposure and 9.6 per 1000 person-years, respectively. None of the cases of major depression was propranolol associated. Rates of major or minor depression (combined) in users of beta-blockers and users of non-beta-blockers were 20.2 per 1000 person-years and 25.2 per 1000 pe rson years, respectively. The age- and sex-adjusted relative risk of m ajor or minor depression associated with the use of beta-blockers comp ared to non-beta-blockers was 0.8 (95% CI, 0.3-1.9). The relative risk associated with propranolol compared to non-beta-blockers was also 0. 8 (95% CI, 0.1-2.7), Therefore, depression occurred no more frequently in beta-blocker users than in other members of the study base.