Pamelor therapy was associated with a remission rate of roughly 20 percent -- higher but not significantly different from the 12 percent rate seen with Remeron. Testing with another self-report measure of depressive symptoms, confirmed that each agent provided similar remission and response rates.

No significant differences in side effects or tolerability were noted between mirtazapine and Pamelor.

"The study has confirmed much of what we suspected, based on industry and federally sponsored clinical trials, case reports, and expert opinion," Dr. Matthew Menza, from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Piscataway, notes in a related editorial.

"STAR*D does not answer all of our questions, but progress in science is incremental, and STAR*D has added incrementally to the evidence base for the use of antidepressants."

SOURCE: American Journal of Psychiatry

Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

Gum disease may up stroke risk - study

Making regular visits to the dentist not only protects the teeth, it also may protect the carotid arteries -- the main blood vessels leading to the brain.

Study findings presented this past weekend in Brisbane, Australia at a gathering of the International Association for Dental Research hint that gum disease may contribute to clogged carotids, leading to an increased risk of stroke.

Chronic inflammation arising from dental disease has been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries -- a key risk factor for stroke. Advanced carotid artery blockages contain calcium, and can be imaged when a dentist takes a panoramic x-ray of the teeth.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles used panoramic x-rays to quantify the degree of dental disease seen in 18 individuals with carotid artery clogs and 18 without these blockages who were matched for age, sex, and stroke risk factors such as body weight, smoking history, blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.

They found that dental disease, as determined by the number of teeth with decay, missing teeth, and the amount of bone loss around the teeth, was much more prevalent in people with carotid atheromas, as the clogs are called, than in those without.

"The main finding is that patients with atheromas have greater amounts of active dental disease than age-matched controls with similar atherosclerotic risk factors," Dr. Evelyn Chung from the UCLA School of Dentistry in Los Angeles told Reuters Health.

"Untreated dental disease may in some way accelerate the atherosclerotic process," Chung noted. "Therefore patients should visit their dentists for continued care to remove infections."

"We believe that these results correlate well with other studies that have only hinted at the relationship between dental disease burden and atherosclerosis," Chung added.

Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.