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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Meri-Tuuli on September 20, 2006, at 6:07:06
Well according to this study (I have the full pdf if anyone's interested and BTW this study is not funded by the makers of xyz pharmacetical):
The efficacy of St. John's Wort in patients with minor depressive symptoms or dysthymia – a double-blind placebo-controlled study
Here's the conclusion:
Conclusions
In summary we observed, a tendency towards a more frequent significant improvement of the non-dysthymic patient treated with PM235. When pooling the two hypericine-treated groups together, Hypericum was significantly superior to placebo in minor depressed patients with HAM-D up to 17. The extract PM235 was very well tolerated. However, treatment with Hypericum showed no efficacy on any of the measures in treating dysthymic disorders. This has to be confirmed in further studies.
___________________________Abstract
Introduction: We studied the efficacy of St. John's Wort compared with placebo in patients with minor depressive symptoms or dysthymia, with the main focus on which diagnostic entities are optimally amenable to treatment with two different doses of Hypericum, and which are not.
Methods: One hundred and fifty patients, 25–70 years old, meeting ICD-10 criteria for mild or moderately severe depressed episodes or with dysthymia, and having a 17-item Hamilton Depressionnext term Scale for previous termDepressionnext term (HAM-D) total score between 7 and 17, were randomly assigned to an extract. The extract, PM235, manufactured by Cederroth International AB, Sweden, was given t.i.d. in a lower (0.12% hypericine) or a higher (0.18% hypericine) formulation, based on 270 mg extractions or identical placebo. Clinical response was defined by HAM-D as a greater-or-equal, slanted50% reduction and/or a score less-than-or-equals, slant7. The Beck previous termDepressionnext term Inventory (BDI) and Visual Analog Scales (VAS) were used as secondary efficacy parameters. Measures were conducted at screening, baseline, and after 3 and 6 weeks of treatment.
Results: We found a large discrepancy in response between dysthymic and non-dysthymics, the latter seemingly more sensitive to Hypericum. HAM-D showed tendency but no significance toward a more frequent improvement of the non-dysthymics treated with Hypericum (p=0.057). BDI criteria showed significance (p=0.045) for both doses of Hypericum compared to placebo. Pooling high- and low-dose groups together, a significant reduction for HAM-Dless-than-or-equals, slant7 and BDI criteria was found among non-dysthymic patients (p=0.03). Significant improvement in response to Hypericum was found in symptoms reflected by VAS – again only in non-dysthymic patients (p=0.041).
Discussion: We observed, a tendency toward a more frequent significant improvement of the non-dysthymic patient treated with PM235, though this did not reach the level of statistical significance. In a secondary analysis, pooling both hypericine-treated groups concluded that Hypericum has a clinical significant effect in minor depressed patients with HAM-D up to 17. This finding was significant only in non-dysthymic patients.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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