Adding an Insulin-Sensitizing Medication to Depression Treatment for People Who Are Depressed and Overweight

Overview[ - collapse ][ - ]

Purpose This study will determine whether the drug metformin improves the effects of traditional antidepressant medications in people who are overweight.
ConditionDepression
InterventionDrug: Sertraline
Drug: Metformin
PhasePhase 4
SponsorNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Responsible PartyNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierNCT00834652
First ReceivedFebruary 2, 2009
Last UpdatedSeptember 18, 2009
Last verifiedSeptember 2009

Tracking Information[ + expand ][ + ]

First Received DateFebruary 2, 2009
Last Updated DateSeptember 18, 2009
Start DateSeptember 2007
Estimated Primary Completion DateDecember 2012
Current Primary Outcome MeasuresTreatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) (acute phase) and prevention of MDD recurrence (maintenance phase) [Time Frame: Measured over 40 weeks] [Designated as safety issue: No]
Current Secondary Outcome Measures
  • Insulin resistance (IR), glycemic control, anthropometrics and body composition, and cortisol levels [Time Frame: Measured over 40 weeks] [Designated as safety issue: No]
  • Value of reducing IR for predicting reduction in depression symptoms and time-to-recurrence (TTR) [Time Frame: Measured over 40 weeks] [Designated as safety issue: No]
  • Sustained IR reduction during the depression-free interval following treatment [Time Frame: Measured over 40 weeks] [Designated as safety issue: No]

Descriptive Information[ + expand ][ + ]

Brief TitleAdding an Insulin-Sensitizing Medication to Depression Treatment for People Who Are Depressed and Overweight
Official TitleImproving Depression Treatment Outcomes With an Insulin-Sensitizing Agent
Brief Summary
This study will determine whether the drug metformin improves the effects of traditional
antidepressant medications in people who are overweight.
Detailed Description
Current depression treatments are not effective for approximately one-half of overweight
people, and depression eventually returns in approximately one-third of those overweight
people whose initial treatment is effective. One possible reason for these treatment
failures is that overweight people often experience a condition called insulin resistance
(IR), which can lead to type 2 diabetes, an associated disease that might also affect
depression treatment. IR results in elevated blood sugar levels that may interfere with
medications used to treat depression. Metformin, a medication commonly used to treat
diabetes, reduces blood sugar levels. This study will examine whether taking metformin with
the antidepressant medication sertraline will enhance the effectiveness of sertraline in
people who are overweight and depressed.

Participation in this study will be divided into two phases lasting a total of 40 weeks.
Phase 1 will last 16 weeks and include baseline testing and seven scheduled study visits.
During this phase, participants will be randomly assigned to receive either sertraline and
metformin or sertraline and placebo on a daily basis. The baseline visit will include the
following tests and measures: an electrocardiogram (EKG), which will measure the electrical
activity in the heart; an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which will measure how a
person's body breaks down glucose; a blood test, which will measure lipids, hemoglobin A1C,
and other cardiometabolic risk factors; a dual energy x-ray absorptimetry (DEXA) scan, which
will measure body fat; a pregnancy test for women; measurements of vital signs, height,
weight, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist circumference; and questionnaires concerning health,
medication use, physical activity, diet, and mood. Some of the questionnaires will be
administered through interviews with a researcher. During the study visits, which will occur
every 2 weeks, participants will complete questionnaires, unused medication will be
collected, and new medication will be handed out. At Week 8, participants will provide an
additional blood sample by finger stick. At the end of Phase 1, participants will undergo
repeat baseline testing.

Participants whose depression has improved after Phase 1 will be eligible to continue to
Phase 2 of the study, which will determine the longer term effects of taking metformin with
sertraline. Phase 2 of the study will last 24 weeks, with study visits occurring monthly.
During the study visits, participants will complete questionnaires again, and medication
will be collected and handed out. At Weeks 24 and 32, participants will provide blood
samples by finger stick. After completing Phase 2, participants will again undergo repeat
baseline testing.
Study TypeInterventional
Study PhasePhase 4
Study DesignAllocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment
ConditionDepression
InterventionDrug: Sertraline
50 mg once a day, which may be increased to 200 mg once a day
Other Names:
ZoloftDrug: Metformin
Starting dose of 500 mg daily and increasing by 500 mg every 2 weeks to a total of 2,000 mg daily
Study Arm (s)
  • Experimental: 1
    Participants will receive sertraline and metformin.
  • Placebo Comparator: 2
    Participants will receive sertraline and placebo.

Recruitment Information[ + expand ][ + ]

Recruitment StatusRecruiting
Estimated Enrollment200
Estimated Completion DateDecember 2012
Estimated Primary Completion DateMay 2012
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

- Body mass index (BMI) greater than 28.7

- Positive screening for depression

- Must live within 100 miles of the St. Louis metropolitan area

Exclusion Criteria:

- Pregnant or breastfeeding

- Known hypersensitivity to sertraline or metformin

- Recent history of heart attack or unstable heart disease

- Severe liver disease or kidney impairment, defined by a serum creatine level above 3
mg/dL

- Psychiatric disorder thought to affect management, such as schizophrenia, or alcohol
or drug dependence
GenderBoth
Ages20 Years
Accepts Healthy VolunteersNo
ContactsContact: Billy D. Nix
314-362-3201
NIXD@WUSTL.EDU
Location CountriesUnited States

Administrative Information[ + expand ][ + ]

NCT Number NCT00834652
Other Study ID NumbersR01 MH081150
Has Data Monitoring CommitteeNo
Information Provided ByNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Study SponsorNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
CollaboratorsNot Provided
Investigators Principal Investigator: Patrick J. Lustman, PhD Washington University School of Medicine
Verification DateSeptember 2009

Locations[ + expand ][ + ]

Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110
Recruiting