Early weight gain predicts later weight gain in depressed patients treated with antidepressants: Findings from the METADAP cohort.

BACKGROUND: Weight gain is a major side effect of antidepressant (AD) drugs. We assessed whether early weight gain is a predictor for long term weight gain in depressed patients treated with antidepressants.

METHODS: In the six month prospective METADAP cohort, 260 non-overweight patients with a major depressive disorder (MDD), who have recently experienced a Major Depressive Episode (MDE) were assessed for early weight gain (>3%,>5%, and >7%) after one month of treatment, and for long term weight gain (>15% and >20%) after three and six months of treatment. ROC analysis was used to determine the predictive power of early weight gain.

RESULTS: 12.4% (21/170) of patients became overweight after three months of treatment and 21.1% (26/123) were overweight after six months. Compared to non-early weight gainers, patients with early weight gain (>3%, >5% and >7%) were 11.3 (OR = 11.3, 95%CI: 4.6-27.6)], 9.9 (OR = 9.9, 95%CI: 3.6-26.9)] and 17.8 (OR = 17.8, 95%CI: 6.4-49.4)] times, respectively, more at risk of late weight gain (>15%). ROC analysis showed that early weight gain (>3%) after one month of treatment, was the best predictor of long term weight gain (≥15%) after three months [Area Under the Curve (AUC )= 87%] and six months of treatment (AUC = 88%) PERSPECTIVES: Given that our baseline sample consisted of strictly non-overweight patients, the 3% threshold for weight gain after one month should be used as an indicator to initiate early weight monitoring in depressed patients treated with antidepressants. High attrition rate remains a limitation in this cohort and other cohorts in psychiatric settings.

DISCLOSURES: Bruno Falissard consults for and received lecture fees from for E. Lilly, BMS, Servier, Sanofi-Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline, HRA, Roche, Boeringer Ingelheim, Bayer, Almirall, Allergan, Stallergene, Genzyme, Pierre Fabre, Astra Zeneca, Novartis, Janssen, Astellas, Biotronik, Daiichi-Sankyo, Gilead, MSD, Lundbeck. Florence Gressier received lecture fees from for Servier, Lundbeck and a grant from Servier. Mircea Polosan consults for and received lecture fees from Astra-Zeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lundbeck, Otsuka and Servier. Emmanuel Haffen consults for and received lecture fees from Astra-Zeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Lilly, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier. Philippe Chanson has received unrestricted research and educational grants from Ipsen, Novartis, Novo-Nordisk, and Pfizer for the Department of Endocrinology and Reproductive Diseases, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Sud and for INSERM U 693. He has served as investigator (principal or coordinator) for clinical trials funded by Novartis, Pfizer, Ipsen, Italopharmaco, Antisense, Prolor Biotech. He is member of Advisory Boards from Ipsen, Novartis, Viropharma. He gave lectures for Ipsen, Novartis, Pfizer, NovoNordisk. All the fees and honoraria were paid to his Institution. Bruno Falissard consults for and received lecture fees from NovoNordisk, MSD and Sanofi-Aventis. Laurent Bequemont has close family member working at Sanofi-Aventis, consults for Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer, Servier and received lecture fees from Genzyme, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck Sharp and Dohme. Khalil El Asmar, Séverine Trabado, Albane Vievard, Céline Verstuyft, Romain Colle and Emmanuelle Corruble have nothing to declare.