Marcelo Papelbaum

Topiramate use in obese patients with binge eating disorder: An open study

Objective: To assess topiramates efficacy and tolerability in a group of obese binge eaters with no neuropsychiatric comorbidity. Method: We consecutively selected 8 obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED) and no medical or psychiatric comorbidity from individuals seeking treatment for obesity. Treatment with topiramate at 150 mg daily was administered over a 16-week period. To assesss outcome, we employed the days with binge episodes per week (DBE), the Binge Eating Scale (BES), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and body weight evaluation. Results: Of the 6 patients who completed the trial, all showed reduced binge eating. Four patients presented a total remission, and 2 had a marked reduction in binge eating frequency. The mean DBE decreased significantly from 4.3 to 1.1 (P = 0.03), as did the BES scores, which fell from 31.8 to 15.3 (P = 0.04). Moreover, there was a statistically significant weight loss (mean 4.1 kg, P = 0.04). The most frequent side effects were paresthesias, fatigue, and somnolence. Conclusion: Topiramate may be an effective and well-tolerated agent in the treatment of BED in obese patients.

Depression, glycemic control and type 2 diabetes

BackgroundComorbid depression in diabetes has been suggested as one of the possible causes of an inadequate glycemic control. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between major depression and the glycemic control of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsSeventy T2DM patients were evaluated. They underwent a psychiatric examination using the following instruments: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and Beck Depression Inventory. The diabetes status was assessed in the short-term (glycemia, glycated hemoglobin) clinical control.ResultsThe presence of current depression was observed in 18.6% (13/70). In addition, type 2 diabetes patients who displayed depression evidenced higher levels of glycated hemoglobin (8.6 ± 2.0 vs. 7.5 ± 1.8; p = 0.05) when compared to those who did not exhibit a mood disorder.ConclusionsIn our sample, the presence of depression seems to impact on the short-term control of T2DM. The authors discuss the clinical utility of these findings in the usual treatment of diabetes.

Psychiatric comorbidity in a Brazilian sample of patients with binge-eating disorder

We compared sociodemographic characteristics and psychiatric status in obese Brazilian patients who did (n=32) and did not (n=33) meet DSM-IV criteria for binge-eating disorder (BED). The samples mean age was 35.0 years (+/-10.5), with 92.3% of individuals being female and 41.5% having some higher education. Obese binge eaters (OBE) were significantly more likely than obese non-binge eaters to meet criteria for a current diagnosis of any axis I disorder, any mood disorder and any anxiety disorder. Specifically, OBE patients were characterized by significantly higher rates of current and lifetime histories of major depressive disorder. Similar to patients from developed countries, Brazilian patients with BED display increased rates of psychiatric comorbidity, particularly mood and anxiety disorders.

Diabetes mellitus e depressão: uma revisão sistemática

The presence of depression in a patient with diabetes mellitus (DM) seems to be related to changes in the clinical course of the disease. The purpose of this study is to perform a systematic review on the association of DM and depression. A bibliographic search was performed using the MEDLINE and LILACS databases to identify relevant articles, published from 1990 to 2001, which evaluate this relationship. Information concerning prevalence, impact and treatment of depression in DM were analyzed. The prevalence of depression varied from 0 to 60.5%. The presence of depressive symptoms were associated with a poor glycemic control, an increase in the number and severity of clinical complications, a worse quality of life and impairment of social, educational and economic aspects related to DM. The treatment of depression is associated with an improvement in glycemic levels, which may contribute to a better control of several aspects related to DM.

The association between quality of life, depressive symptoms and glycemic control in a group of type 2 diabetes patients.

AIMS Several studies have demonstrated worse perception of quality of life (QoL) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of our study was to assess QoL in a clinical sample of patients with T2DM and its association with depressive symptoms and glycemic control. METHODS One hundred outpatients from a sequential sample underwent clinical and psychiatric evaluation. The Problem Areas of Diabetes scale (PAID) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to assess, respectively, QoL and the presence of overall psychopathology. The levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were used as the main parameter of glycemic control. RESULTS The perception degree of the QoL related with diabetes was associated with the severity of depressive symptoms (r=0.503; p<0.001), but not with HbA1c levels (p=0.117). However, the severity of general psychopathology, evaluated through the BDI scores, predicted the metabolic control, measured by HbA1c levels, among the patients in our sample (r=0.233; p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS In our study, PAID was a valuable tool for the evaluation of QoL in T2DM and the screening of depressive symptoms. However, no correlation observed between PAID scores and HbA1c levels. Self-perception evaluation of T2DM patient can help to identify susceptible subjects to current depression.

Prevalence of eating disorders and psychiatric comorbidity in a clinical sample of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

BACKGROUND A few studies have shown high rates of eating disorders and psychiatric morbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVE Disturbed eating behavior and psychiatric comorbidity in a sample of T2DM patients. METHODS Seventy type 2 diabetes mellitus patients between 40 and 65 years of age (mean, 52.9 +/- 6.8) from a diabetes outpatient clinic were sequentially evaluated. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Binge Eating Scale and Beck Depression Inventory were used to assess eating disorders and other psychiatric comorbidity. In addition to the descriptive analysis of the data, we compared groups divided based on the presence of obesity (evaluated by the body mass index) or an eating disorder. RESULTS Twenty percent of the sample displayed an eating disorder. Binge eating disorder was the predominant eating disorder diagnosis (10%). Overall, the group of obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus presented rates of psychiatric comorbidity comparable to those seen in their nonobese counterparts. However, the presence of an eating disorder was associated with a significant increase in the frequency of anxiety disorders (57.1% x 28.6%; p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS In our study sample, the occurrence of eating disorders was increased compared to rates observed in the general population, with the predominance of binge eating disorder. The presence of an eating disorder in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients was associated with higher rates of anxiety disorders.

Impact of body mass index on the psychopathological profile of obese women

OBJECTIVE Obesity is a complex condition associated with a host of medical disorders. One common assumption is that obesity is also related to psychological and emotional complications. However, some studies have shown that obesity itself does not appear to be systematically associated with psychopathological outcomes.The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact that the various degrees of obesity have on the psychopathological profile of obese patients. METHOD The study sample consisted of 217 women classified as obese (body mass index > 30 kg/m(2)) who sought medical treatment for weight loss and were consecutively invited to participate in the study. Anthropometric data were registered for all participants. Psychiatric evaluations were performed using the Beck Depression Inventory and Symptom Checklist-90. Multiple regression analysis was used in order to determine whether any of the studied variables (age, level of education, Beck Depression Inventory score and body mass index) were independently correlated with the score on the different subscales of the Symptom Checklist-90. RESULTS Only body mass index was found to correlate significantly with the score on the somatization subscale of the Symptom Checklist-90 (r = 0.148, p = 0.035). This correlation remained significant after multiple regression analysis (p = 0.03). No correlation was found between body mass index and the score on any of the other subscales. CONCLUSION The degree of obesity did not correlate with any of the psychological profiles commonly described in the medical literature, including depression and anxiety. The correlation between obesity and somatization, although weak, might simply be related to an overlapping of symptoms.

Diabetes e transtornos alimentares: uma associaçäo de alto risco

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic illness that course with some clinical complications and it is one of frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in Brazil. The presence of psychiatric comorbidity can interfere in the metabolic control of diabetic pacients and increase the complications of this illness, mainly depression and eating disorders (ED). Some factors involveld in the association between DM and ED as psychological aspects related to DM, as well as dietary restriction, plays important role in the expression of inadequate alimentary behaviors in this population. The objective of this article is to present a review of the association between DM and ED. Thus, it will be described data on the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical aspects, course and treatment of comorbidity between ED (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder) and DM types 1 and 2. The early diagnosis and the adequate treatment of an associated ED seems to be correlated to a better prognostic of DM.O diabetes mellitus (DM) e uma doenca cronica que cursa com varias complicacoes clinicas e esta entre as maiores causas de morbidade e mortalidade no Brasil. A presenca de comorbidades psiquiatricas, principalmente depressao e transtornos alimentares (TA), no paciente diabetico, pode interferir no controle metabolico e aumentar as complicacoes da doenca. Entre os varios fatores na associacao entre o DM e os TA, aspectos psicologicos relacionados ao DM, assim como restricoes dieteticas, desempenham funcao importante na expressao de comportamentos alimentares inadequados nesta populacao. O objetivo do presente artigo e apresentar uma atualizacao sobre a associacao entre o DM e os TA. Serao descritos dados sobre a epidemiologia, fatores de risco, aspectos clinicos, evolucao e tratamento da comorbidade entre os TA (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa e transtorno da compulsao alimentar periodica) e DM tipos 1 e 2. O diagnostico precoce e o tratamento adequado de um TA associado parece se correlacionar a um melhor prognostico do DM.

Evidências sobre a terapia cognitivo-comportamental no tratamento de obesos com transtorno da compulsão alimentar periódica

OBJECTIVES: To investigate evidence of the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of obese patients with binge eating disorder. METHOD: This review included clinical trials and meta-analyses published in all languages from January 1980 to February 2006. Studies assessing the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy associated with medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy in self-help manuals, case reports or series and letters to editors were excluded. The following electronic databases were used: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, LILACS and Cochrane Library. Search strategies also included consulting the references of selected articles and chapters of specialized books. RESULTS: Two open and 15 controlled clinical trials were included. The primary outcome in most studies was binge eating. In general, the clinical trials suggest that cognitive-behavioral therapy results in significant improvement in binge eating and other psychopathological symptoms related to binge eating disorder. However, no substantial weight loss was reported. CONCLUSIONS: Available evidence suggests that cognitive-behavioral therapy is an effective intervention method for psychological aspects of binge eating disorder, although its efficacy in body weight reduction and long-term maintenance of results still needs further investigation.

The INTERPRET-DD study of diabetes and depression: a protocol.

People with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing depression and other psychological disorders. However, little is known about the prevalence, correlates or care pathways in countries other than the UK and the USA. A new study, the International Prevalence and Treatment of Diabetes and Depression Study (INTERPRET–DD) aims to address this dearth of knowledge and identify optimal pathways to care across the globe.