Duloxetine significantly reduces core anxiety symptoms and improves functional impairment associated with generalized anxiety disorder, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.

In the nine-week study, duloxetine significantly improved core anxiety symptoms such as anxious mood, fears and tension by 51 percent in patients taking 60mg/day and by 50 percent in patients taking 120mg/day compared with an improvement of 32 percent in patients taking placebo. Overall, 168 patients were randomized to 60 mg duloxetine per day, 170 patients to 120 mg duloxetine per day, and 175 patients to placebo.

Patients who took either 60mg/day or 120mg/day had significantly greater response and remission rates compared with placebo patients. In addition, duloxetine significantly reduced overall pain by 41 percent and 37 percent respectively, compared with 16 percent placebo patients. Finally, duloxetine patients reported greater improvement in quality of life as measured by the Sheehan Disability Scale, Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, and European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions, including improved ability to perform everyday activities at work, home, and in social situations compared with placebo.

"While it is important to evaluate anxiety symptoms such as excessive worry and irritability, it is also important to evaluate associated painful physical symptoms and functioning because many patients also report these symptoms," said Christer Allgulander, MD, associate professor, senior lecturer, Karolinska Institutet, and lead author on the study. "These data suggest that not only was duloxetine able to significantly improve the core anxiety symptoms, but it also reduced painful physical symptoms associated with the disorder and improved functioning resulting in improved quality of life."

When compared with placebo, patients taking either 60 mg/day or 120 mg/day duloxetine had significant improvement in symptom severity and disability, including significantly greater response rates (58 and 56 percent versus 32 percent).

Duloxetine also produced significant improvement in the Visual Analogue Scale for Pain on overall pain (41 and 37 percent versus 16 percent), headache (34 and 38 percent versus 13 percent), back pain (44 and 46 percent versus 14 percent), interference due to pain (39 and 41 percent versus 10 percent), and pain during waking hours (32 and 43 percent versus 12 percent).

Patients with a recent diagnosis (within six months) of major depression were excluded from this study.