Drug therapy for depressive syndrome in COVID-19
- Authors: Sazhin R.I.1, Leshcheva M.Y.2, Kazakova M.B.2
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Affiliations:
- Voronezh State Medical University named after N. N. Burdenko
- Voronezh State Medical University named after N.N. Burdenko
- Issue: Vol 14 (2025): Материалы XXI Международного Бурденковского научного конгресса 24-26 апреля 2025
- Pages: 387-389
- Section: Фармакология
- URL: https://new.vestnik-surgery.com/index.php/2415-7805/article/view/10681
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Abstract
Introduction. The coronavirus infection COVID-19 has undoubtedly had a great impact on both the population and the healthcare system worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) as of February 2025, over 777 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, of which about 20% had depressive symptoms of varying severity. Also, numerous studies conducted around the world have shown that a depressive episode can be associated with elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines, which will undoubtedly be present during the course of COVID-19, playing a causal role. Therefore, it has become very important to evaluate the combined use of selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors SNRIs with anti-inflammatory drugs, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs in the treatment of depressive episodes. In this regard, the authors set a goal: to evaluate the combined effect of NSAIDs with SNRIs on the body. A retrospective analysis of the medical history of patients of a certain age group of 30-45 years, with a registered depressive episode, who had a history of coronavirus infection, was conducted. The patients were divided into 2 groups of 20 people each.
The study results show the usefulness of co-administering SSRIs with NSAIDs to improve treatment outcomes in patients with depression.
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Introduction: The COVID-19 coronavirus infection has undoubtedly had a great impact on both the population and the healthcare system around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of February 2025, over 777 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, of which about 20% had depressive symptoms of varying severity. Also, numerous studies conducted around the world have shown that a depressive episode may be associated with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which will undoubtedly be present during the course of COVID-19 disease, playing a causal role. All this indicates the relevance of evaluating the combined use of antidepressant drugs with anti-inflammatory substances.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect on the duration of treatment of a depressive episode of the combined use of NSAIDs and SSRIs.
Materials and methods of research. A retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients in a certain age group of 30-45 years old, with a depressive episode registered using the Hamilton scale, who had a history of COVID-19 coronavirus infection, was conducted. The patients were divided into 2 groups of 20 people each: 1-those treated with duloxetine and 2 - those treated with duloxetine together with NSAIDs.
The results of the study. The analysis of scientific literature indicating the interaction between mental state and the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factors (TNF) and others was carried out. Also, as part of a retrospective analysis, the medical histories of two groups of patients suffering from depressive syndrome were studied. One group (40 people) received standard duloxetine treatment, and the second group (40 people) combined duloxetine with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The main goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment in terms of recovery time and to identify the effect of NSAIDs on reducing inflammatory markers in the context of depressive disorders. The results showed a significant reduction in treatment time in the group receiving a combination of duloxetine and NSAIDs, compared with the control group, which was 52%. The analysis shows that the use of NSAIDs in combination with duloxetine can significantly reduce the treatment time for depressive syndrome by reducing inflammatory processes in the body. This demonstrates the importance of treating inflammatory conditions as a simultaneous goal in the treatment of depression, and highlights the potential benefits of combination therapy to improve treatment outcomes. It is important to continue to investigate the mechanisms of interaction between inflammation and psychiatric disorders in order to further improve therapeutic strategies.
Conclusion. Thus, the results of the study show the usefulness of combination therapy with duloxetine and NSAIDs, which is a promising approach to the treatment of depressive syndrome in patients who have suffered from COVID-19. Eliminating inflammatory effects through the use of NSAIDs not only improves symptoms of depression, but also promotes faster recovery, which can reduce the overall burden on the healthcare system in post-pandemic recovery.
About the authors
Roman Igorevich Sazhin
Voronezh State Medical University named after N. N. Burdenko
Author for correspondence.
Email: romansazhin@rambler.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0004-3422-3816
Студент педиатрического факультета, П208 группа
Russian Federation, 394036, Russia, Voronezh, 10 Studencheskaya St.Maria Yurievna Leshcheva
Voronezh State Medical University named after N.N. Burdenko
Email: mleshcheva@vrngmu.com
assistant lecturer of the Pharmacology
Russian Federation, 394036, Russia, Voronezh, 10 Studencheskaya St.Maria Borisovna Kazakova
Voronezh State Medical University named after N.N. Burdenko
Email: k_ma77@mail.ru
assistant lecturer of the Department of Simulation Training
Russian Federation, 394036, Russia, Voronezh, 10 Studencheskaya St.References
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