Efficacy and safety of sulforaphane for treatment of mild to moderate depression in patients with history of cardiac interventions: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Aim Depression has been recognized as one of the disorders associated with cardiac interventions such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of sulforaphane in treatment of depression induced by cardiac interventions. Methods After initial screening, 66 patients with previous history of at least one cardiac intervention and current mild to moderate depression were randomly assigned to two parallel groups receiving either sulforaphane (n = 33) or placebo (n = 33) for six successive weeks. Efficacy was assessed using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) at baseline and week 2, 4, and 6. Safety of the treatments was checked during the trial period. Results Sixty participants completed the clinical trial (n = 30 in each group). Baseline demographic and clinical parameters were all similar among groups. Repeated measures analysis indicated that the sulforaphane group exhibited greater improvement in HAM-D scores throughout the trial (P < 0.001). Response to treatment (>= 50% reduction in the HAM-D score) rate was higher in the sulforaphane group at trial endpoint (30% vs 6.67%, P = 0.042). Remission (HAM-D score <= 7) rate was also higher in the sulforaphane group; however, the difference was not significant (23.33% vs 3.33%, P = 0.052). Finally, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of frequency of side effects. Conclusions Sulforaphane could safely improve depressive symptoms induced by cardiac interventions. Further clinical trials with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are warranted to confirm our results.

Automated summary

In this study, the efficacy and safety of sulforaphane in treating depression induced by cardiac interventions were evaluated in patients with a history of cardiac interventions and current mild to moderate depression. Results showed that the sulforaphane group exhibited greater improvement in HAM-D scores compared to the placebo group, with a higher response to treatment rate and remission rate. This suggests that sulforaphane could be a safe and beneficial treatment for depressive symptoms induced by cardiac interventions.