Comparison of the Effect of Sertraline and Escitalopram on the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: We decided to compare the effects of sertraline and escitalopram in the treatment of major depressive disorder in hemodialysis patients. Materials and Methods: In this single-blind randomized clinical trial, 100 patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis with a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score greater than 15 who were not using medication for depression were included in the study. Then randomly assigned to two groups: (one receiving sertraline and one receiving escitalopram). Both groups were monitored using the Beck questionnaire at the end of the first, second, and third months. Additionally, side effects, treatment compliance, and mortality were compared between the two groups. Results: In total, 100 patients with ESRD were included in the study (48 in the sertraline treatment group and 52 in the escitalopram treatment group). The results indicate that in both treatment groups, depression rates significantly decreased over time with medication (P<0.001). Comparing the depression scores over time revealed that the effect of sertraline and escitalopram in reducing depression was not significantly different. However, the depression score in the sertraline group was slightly lower than that in the escitalopram group, although this difference was not statistically significant. Side effects, treatment compliance, and mortality were comparable between the two groups. Conclusion: In general, both sertraline and escitalopram significantly reduced the score of depression in patients, but sertraline in reducing the depression score was greater than that of escitalopram, although this difference was not significant.