To analyze baseline scores on individual items of the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D17) in depressed outpatients by age groups approximating menopausal status.

This post-hoc, pooled analysis was conducted with populations from 7 double-blind, placebo-controlled desvenlafaxine succinate (DVS) trials in patients with major depressive disorder. The age groups, chosen as a proxy for pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal status, respectively, were 18-39, 40-55, and >55 years of age. Data from male patients were used to differentiate effects due to menopausal status from those related to age. Analysis of variance with Bonferroni adjustments was used to compare differences in baseline scores on individual HAM-D17 items.

A total of 1203 women (18-39 years [n=525]; 40-55 years [n=513]; >55 [n=165]) and 780 men (18-39 years [n=321]; 40-55 years [n=354]; >55 [n=105]) were included in this analysis. When analyzing these data by gender, women had significantly higher scores on HAM-D17 total (P=0.002), anxiety (P<0.001) and retardation subscales (P<0.001), and the somatic–anxiety (P<0.001), genital (P<0.001), and hypochondriasis (P=0.007) items. A significant age effect was observed for the HAM-D17 insomnia scale (P=0.004), and guilt (P<0.001), all insomnia items (P≤0.001), somatic–general (P<0.001), genital (P=0.019), and hypochondriasis (P≤0.001) individual items. An age effect among women was observed on the guilt (P=0.017), all insomnia items (P<0.05), somatic–general (P=0.022), and hypochondriasis (P=0.001) items.

Women in age groups approximating peri- and postmenopausal status had significantly higher baseline scores than younger women for the hypochondriasis, insomnia–middle and insomnia–late items of the HAM-D17.