SAMe was not different from placebo and established antidepressants .
The exception was that compared to imipramine , fewer participants experienced troublesome adverse effects when treated with parenteral SAMe .
BACKGROUND Depression is a recurrent illness with high rates of chronicity , treatment-resistance and significant economic impact .
There is evidence in the literature that S-adenosyl methionine ( SAMe ) , a naturally occurring compound in the human body , has antidepressant efficacy .
This product may be an important addition to the armamentarium of antidepressant agents .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of SAMe in comparison with placebo or antidepressants for the treatment of depression in adults .
Is S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) for Depression Only Effective in Males? A Re-Analysis of Data from a Randomized Clinical Trial.
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine whether gender differences may have affected treatment response to S-adenosyl methionine ( SAMe ) in a recent failed r and omized clinical trial ( RCT ) for adults with major depressive disorder . METHODS Data from a 2-site , 12-week , double-blind RCT ( n=189 ) assessing the efficacy of SAMe vs. placebo and a comparator selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor ( escitalopram )  were subjected to post-hoc analyses to evaluate effects of patient gender on treatment response . RESULTS When assessing the efficacy outcomes within each gender separately , SAMe was superior to placebo among males ( n=51 ) , but not among females ( n=62 ) . Males showed a significant reduction of depression severity from baseline to study endpoint on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale ( 4.3 point difference ; p=0.034 ; d=0.95 ) , while females did not show significant change . This finding emerged despite equivalence on baseline measures of depression severity between the gender groups . CONCLUSION RESULTS of this secondary data analysis suggest that gender might impact the antidepressant efficacy of SAMe , with greater therapeutic effect found in males . The underlying mechanism is still relatively unknown . Further work is needed to replicate this observation in independent sample s. Clinical trials.gov identifier : NCT00101452
SAMe was not different from placebo and established antidepressants .
The exception was that compared to imipramine , fewer participants experienced troublesome adverse effects when treated with parenteral SAMe .
BACKGROUND Depression is a recurrent illness with high rates of chronicity , treatment-resistance and significant economic impact .
There is evidence in the literature that S-adenosyl methionine ( SAMe ) , a naturally occurring compound in the human body , has antidepressant efficacy .
This product may be an important addition to the armamentarium of antidepressant agents .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of SAMe in comparison with placebo or antidepressants for the treatment of depression in adults .