Postural hypotension in elderly patients given carvedilol

Abstract

and early afternoon.4As suicide and attempted suicide have different psychological causes and epidemiological risk factors, these data support the hypothesis that chronobiologically determined changes influence suicidal behaviour.The acrophases of important biological variables such as temperature, heart rate, and cortisol secretion vary in people with affective disorders compared with control subjects and may affect behaviour in addition to diurnal changes in mood and social activities.Increased adrenergic activity and lowered serotoninergic activity5 in the afternoon might play a part in mood changes.It could also be argued, however, that people who attempt suicide by minor self poisoning often do not want to die and their cry for help is more likely to be heard in the hours of the day when social and psychiatric services are available.In conclusion, a specific temporal risk, defined as the point of confluence of many factors (hormonal, environmental, and behavioural), probably plays a part in suicidal behaviour.Treatment of depressive disorders might therefore be improved by aiming for peak drug concentrations at vulnerable times.