Rationale, design and methodology of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of escitalopram in prevention of Depression in Acute Coronary Syndrome (DECARD)

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of depression in patients with acute coronary syndrome, i.e. myocardial infarction and unstable angina, is higher than in the general population. The prevalence of anxiety is higher as well. Both depression and anxiety are associated with poor cardiac outcomes and higher mortality. Comorbid depression in patients with acute coronary syndrome often goes undiagnosed, and it is therefore a challenging task to prevent this risk factor. The study of DEpression in Coronary ARtery Disease (DECARD) is designed to examine if it is possible to prevent depression in patients with acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: Two hundred forty non-depressed patients with acute coronary syndrome are randomized to treatment with either escitalopram or placebo for 1 year. Psychiatric and cardiac assessment of patients is performed to evaluate the possibility of preventing depression. Diagnosis of depression and Hamilton Depression Scale are the primary outcome measures. DISCUSSION: This is the first study of prevention of depression in patients after acute coronary syndrome with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Identifier: NCT00140257