Improving quality of life in depressed COPD patients: effectiveness of a minimal psychological intervention.

Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent in elderly COPD patients. Since symptoms of depression and anxiety reduce quality of life in these patients, treatments aimed at improving mental health may improve their quality of life. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a nurse-led Minimal Psychological Intervention (MPI) in reducing depression and anxiety, and improving disease-specific quality of life in elderly COPD patients.

Good end-of-life care according to patients and their GPs.

Background: Most patients prefer to die at home, where a GP provides end-of-life care. A few previous studies have been directed at the GPs' values on good end-of-life care, yet no study combined values of patients and their own GP.

Aim: To explore the aspects valued by both patients and GPs in end-of-life care at home, and to reflect upon the results in the context of future developments in primary care.

Socioeconomic differences in cognitive decline and the role of biomedical factors.

Purpose: This study examines the association between socioeconomic status and cognitive decline in a community-based cohort of well-functioning older adults and seeks to determine whether this link could be explained by biomedical factors.

Methods: Data are from 2574 men and women aged 70 to 79 years from Pittsburgh, PA, and Memphis, TN, participating in the Health, Aging and Body Composition study (Health ABC). Three indicators of socioeconomic status were used: education, income, and ownership of financial assets.

Adverse events in users of sertraline: results from an observational study in psychiatric practice in The Netherlands.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety profile of sertraline versus other Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) directly following the introduction of sertraline to the Dutch market.

Methods: In a prospective follow-up study, 109 psychiatrists included patients with a new episode of treatment with sertraline and an equal number of patients starting treatment with other SSRIs. All Adverse Events (AEs) during follow-up were recorded by the psychiatrists for the duration of SSRI treatment until discontinuation or until at least 12 months.