Late onset dysthymic disorder and major depression differ from early onset dysthymic disorder and major depression in elderly outpatients

Background: Age of onset may affect clinical features and prognosis in elderly patients with major depression (MDD), but there is a lack of such data in elderly patients with dysthymic disorder (DD) and systematic comparisons of late onset MDD and DD have not been conducted. Methods: In a Late Life Depression Clinic, patients≥60 years old who met DSM-III-R or DSM-IV criteria for MDD or DD were studied. The 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and SCID-P were completed, family history was obtained, and medical illnesses were assessed. Results: In the total sample ( n=370; 211 MDD and 159 DD), compared to early onset patients, late onset (onset≥60 years) patients had a higher rate of cardiovascular disease ( χ 2=4.12, df=1, P