The effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in treating symptoms of depression has been compared.

A study published in the Biological Psychiatry considered newer SNRI drugs (venlafaxine) and more established SSRI treatments (fluoxetine and citalopram).

Meta-analysis on both antidepressant classes was carried out by pooling the results of 34 double-bind randomised controlled trials comparing venlafaxine to SSRIs.

"Venlafaxine was superior to SSRIs in efficacy overall, and moreover, statistically superior to fluoxetine but not to paroxetine, sertraline or citalopram," Dr Charles Nemeroff, senior author on the paper stated.

"Venlafaxine had a higher dropout rate due to adverse events."

The findings indicated a 5.9 per cent advantage in remission rates for venlafaxine.

A typical doctor would need to treat 17 patients to have a single patient benefit from being treated with venlafaxine rather than an SSRI, the study reports.

While this seems a small advantage, John H Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry believed the study "highlights an advance that may have more importance for public health than for individual doctors and patients".

Optimal use of existing medications may improve general public health despite the small difference for individual doctors and patients, he added.

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