question: All antidepressant drugs are not created equal, according to the authors of one of the few studies that have ever systematically analyzed and compared "new generation" medicines for treating depression.

What qualities are important in an anti-depressant? Efficacy? Tolerance? Side effects? Cost?

In the analysis of 12 drugs, two came out on top as the most effective and best tolerated as first-line treatments: sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro). Venlafaxine (Effexor) and mirtazapine (Remeron) rounded out the top four for effectiveness, but venlafaxine was also among the four drugs patients were most likely to quit taking because of side effects. Reboxetine (Edronax) was less effective than the rest.

While psychiatrists treating depressed patients every day have had a sense of which medications are best, the current study "nails it," says Sagar V. Parikh, M.D., of the University of Toronto. Parikh, who wrote a comment accompanying the study that is published in the current issue of The Lancet, says the findings have "enormous implications" because, for the first time, they offer doctors an evidence-based, unbiased way to recommend treatment. And, he adds, they give patients a "gold standard of reliable information," especially since the study's authors plan to make their findings available free on the Web.

Not so fast, says Gerald Gartlehner, M.D., M.P.H., who coauthored a review of the benefits and risks of the same 12 drugs published last November in the Annals of Internal Medicine. He and his colleagues concluded, based on their review done while Gartlehner was at the RTI-UNC Evidence-Based Practice Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina., that there was no clinically meaningful evidence that any one of the drugs was better than the rest. Instead, they argued, decisions on which drug to use should be based on factors such as cost and side effects.
1. How many different drugs were analyzed?
2. And what kind of drugs were they?
3. Were they all found to be equally effective?
4. Were any identified as being the most effective?
5. Which?
6. Were any of them definitively the least effective?
7. Which one?
8. Did they print the results in a journal?
9. Which one?
10. Were the results important?
11. Who suggested that?
12. And what's his profession?
13. Where does he work?
14. Is there universal agreement that the results were important?
15. Who believes that?
16. Do his coworkers believe it too?
17. Where did they do their work leading to that conclusion?
18. In what state?
19. And what do their results suggest on the other hand?
20. Did they publish their work too?
****
answer: 1. 12
2. antidepressants
3. no
4. yes
5. sertraline and escitalopram
6. yes
7. Reboxetine
8. yes
9. The Lancet
10. yes
11. Sagar V. Parikh
12. a doctor
13. University of Toronto
14. no
15. Gerald Gartlehner
16. yes
17. at the RTI-UNC
18. North Carolina
19. none the drugs was better than the rest.
20. yes

input: Make use of the article to answer the questions. Eve was waiting in the corridor outside her class.She was feeling sick.She had two exams that day and physics was first.She really hated physics.It was her worst subject.Lisa looked back at her, and then looked away quickly.Eve thought she looked guilty.She didn't have a problem with physics.She didn't have a problem with anything...Miss Perfect! "Hi, Eve! So what's wrong with you and Lisa?"asked Tina,"I thought you were friends.""Yes, so did I," said Eve."But she hasn't spoken to me for two weeks now.She promised to help me review for the physics exam too, but then she's ignored all my calls and texts." While in the exam, Eve found Lisa was holding her phone on her knee under the table and reading from it.Eve couldn't believe it! Is that how Lisa always got such good grades? She thought about telling the teacher, but she hesitated.The next exam was history.That was Eve's favorite subject but she couldn't concentrate.She didn't know what to do about Lisa.Just then, Mr.Reed, their teacher, walked past."Mr.Reed..." Lisa was called to the teachers' office and there waited Mr.Reed... The history test was over.Eve was walking towards the school gate when she heard footsteps behind her.It was Lisa.Eve could see that she had been crying."Listen," said Lisa."I'm really sorry I haven't answered your calls, but my dad had a heart attack two weeks ago and he's in hospital.He had a big heart operation today and I was very worried about him.So I was reading texts from my mum, but Mr.Reed caught me.He thought I was cheating.He believes me now, but I have to take the exam again.I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was happening.Will you forgive me?" 1. Who was waiting?
2. Why was she upset?
3. What were they?
4. what happened during the second one?
5. what is her favorite course?
6. What did their teacher do?
7. Who was she upset with?
8. Why?
9. Who did the Mr. Reed talk to?
10. Why?
11. Was she?
12. Did she talk to Eve?
13. Did she explain?
14. What was she doing when Mr. Reed saw her?
15. From whom?
16. Why?
17. Why?
18. For what?
19. When did it start?
20. What was Lisa suppose to do the last two weeks that she did not do?
numbered_answers:
1. Eve
2. She had two exams
3. physics and history
4. Eve couldn't concentrate.
5. history
6. walked past
7. Lisa
8. she's ignoring her
9. Lisa
10. He thought she was cheating
11. no
12. yes
13. yes
14. reading texts
15. her mum
16. she was worried about her dad
17. he had an operation
18. his heart
19. two weeks ago
20. help Eve review