Comparing Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) Alone and in Combination With Beta-Blockers for Treating Panic Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Cureus, ISSN: 2168-8184, Vol: 16, Issue: 9, Page: e68862
2024
- 2Captures
Metric Options: Counts1 Year3 YearSelecting the 1-year or 3-year option will change the metrics count to percentiles, illustrating how an article or review compares to other articles or reviews within the selected time period in the same journal. Selecting the 1-year option compares the metrics against other articles/reviews that were also published in the same calendar year. Selecting the 3-year option compares the metrics against other articles/reviews that were also published in the same calendar year plus the two years prior.
Example: if you select the 1-year option for an article published in 2019 and a metric category shows 90%, that means that the article or review is performing better than 90% of the other articles/reviews published in that journal in 2019. If you select the 3-year option for the same article published in 2019 and the metric category shows 90%, that means that the article or review is performing better than 90% of the other articles/reviews published in that journal in 2019, 2018 and 2017.
Citation Benchmarking is provided by Scopus and SciVal and is different from the metrics context provided by PlumX Metrics.
Example: if you select the 1-year option for an article published in 2019 and a metric category shows 90%, that means that the article or review is performing better than 90% of the other articles/reviews published in that journal in 2019. If you select the 3-year option for the same article published in 2019 and the metric category shows 90%, that means that the article or review is performing better than 90% of the other articles/reviews published in that journal in 2019, 2018 and 2017.
Citation Benchmarking is provided by Scopus and SciVal and is different from the metrics context provided by PlumX Metrics.
Metrics Details
- Captures2
- Readers2
Article Description
Background Panic disorders are prevalent psychiatric conditions affecting 1.6% to 2.2% of the global population. While selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the first line of treatment, their initial exacerbation of symptoms presents challenges. Beta-blockers have shown promise in managing panic symptoms, but research comparing the efficacy of combined SSRI and beta-blocker therapy to SSRI monotherapy is limited, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Objective To assess the effectiveness of SSRIs combined with beta-blockers vs. SSRI monotherapy in improving panic disorder symptoms severity in patients at King Abdul-Aziz Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This prospective cohort study included 62 patients with panic disorder, divided into two groups: SSRI monotherapy (n=29) and SSRIs with beta-blockers (n=33). Panic disorder severity was assessed using the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) after three months of treatment. Secondary outcomes included depression and anxiety symptoms, measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), respectively. Statistical analysis involved Mann-Whitney U tests for comparing PDSS scores between the groups due to non-parametric distribution and Chi-square tests for categorical variables. Relative risks (RR) were calculated to assess the likelihood of abnormal PDSS, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 scores between the groups. Multivariable linear regression was used to adjust for potential confounding factors. Results No statistically significant difference in PDSS scores was found between SSRI monotherapy (median=6, interquartile range (IQR)=3-9) and combination therapy (median=8, IQR=3-13) groups (p=0.188). The relative risk of abnormal PDSS scores was 1.8 times higher in the combination therapy group (p=0.077). No significant differences in depression (p=0.386) or anxiety (p=0.182) symptoms were observed. Additionally, 66.7% of combination therapy patients had abnormal PDSS scores compared to 33.3% in the SSRI group. The mean PHQ-9 score was 11.08±6.93, and the mean GAD-7 score was 10.69±6.41 for the total sample. Conclusion This study found no significant difference in the effectiveness of SSRIs combined with beta-blockers vs. SSRI monotherapy for treating panic disorders. However, the trend towards higher PDSS scores in the combination therapy group suggests further investigation is needed. Study limitations included small sample size, single-center design, short follow-up period, and lack of randomization. Despite these, the study provided valuable insights into treatment approaches for panic disorders in the Saudi population. Larger, randomized controlled trials with longer follow-up periods and multi-center designs are recommended for future research.
Bibliographic Details
http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.68862; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39376873; https://www.cureus.com/articles/286716-comparing-selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors-ssris-alone-and-in-combination-with-beta-blockers-for-treating-panic-disorders-a-prospective-cohort-study; https://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.68862
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Provide Feedback
Have ideas for a new metric? Would you like to see something else here?Let us know