We identified adults with CKD stages G3-5 (eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 not treated with dialysis) and incident depression diagnosis during 2007-2019 from the Stockholm
Creatinine Measurements project. Using the target trial emulation framework, we compared the following treatment strategies: (1) initiating versus not initiating
antidepressants, (2) initiating
mirtazapine versus
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (
SSRIs), and (3) initiating
SSRIs with a lower dose versus a standard dose.
RESULTS: Of 7798 eligible individuals, 5743 (74%) initiated
antidepressant treatment. Compared with noninitiation, initiation of
antidepressants was associated with higher hazards of short-term outcomes, including hip fracture (hazard ratio [HR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88 to 1.74) and upper gastrointestinal
bleeding (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 0.82 to 2.31), although not statistically significant. Initiation of
antidepressants was not associated with long-term outcomes, including all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular event, CKD progression, and suicidal behavior. Compared with
SSRIs, initiation of
mirtazapine was associated with a lower hazard of upper gastrointestinal
bleeding (HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.96), but a higher hazard of mortality (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.22). Compared with the standard dose, initiation of
SSRIs with a lower dose was associated with nonstatistically significantly lower hazards of upper gastrointestinal
bleeding (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.35 to 1.34) and CKD progression (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.63 to 1.02), but a higher hazard of
cardiac arrest (HR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.02 to 5.40).
CONCLUSIONS: