The Comparison of the Efficacy of Agomelatine and Sertraline Medications in the Treatment of Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Heart Failure: A Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Trial

Background & Objective: Depression impacts 20% of heart failure (HF) patients, doubling their mortality risk and tripling non-compliance with treatment.This study compares the effectiveness of Agomelatine and Sertraline in treating depression in these patients. Materials & Methods:This double-blind, randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 58 patients referred to Babol University of Medical Sciences clinics.The participants were divided into two groups of 29 samples; one group was treated with Sertraline (half a 25 mg tablet) and the other with Agomelatine (a daily 25 mg tablet) for 12 weeks.Evaluation of depression scores before the intervention and in weeks 4, 8, and 12 was done by BDI-II and HAM-D questionnaires. Results:The mean age of the patients was 61.5915.32years, and 17 (58.6%)participants were female.An analysis of the BDI-II and HAM-D questionnaire scores in both groups revealed a significant effect of time (P<0.001),indicating that scores on both questionnaires decreased significantly over time.However, the treatment group's effect was insignificant (p=0.538,p=0.412).Regarding side effects, no significant differences were observed between the two medications (all P>0.05). Conclusion:This study's findings indicate that Agomelatine and Sertraline are not superior in managing depression in HF patients.Most secondary outcomes and side effect profiles were similar between the two treatment groups, with no significant differences observed.Additionally, the efficacy of both medications remained consistent across HF patients with varying disease severity.