Depression Archive

When depression strikes, doctors usually probe what's going on in the mind and brain first. But it's also important to check what's going on in the body, since certain medical problems are linked to mood disturbances. In fact, medical illnesses — and medication side effects — may be behind nearly 10% to 15% of all cases of depression.

It's not uncommon for a physical illness to trigger depression. Up to half of heart attack survivors and those with cancer report feeling blue, and many are diagnosed with depression. Many people who have diabetes, Parkinson's, or other chronic conditions become depressed.

News briefs

Are you taking a medication that has depression or suicidal thinking as a potential side effect? One or both risks have been linked to use of more than 200 prescription and over-the-counter pills, including medicines that treat high blood pressure, heartburn, pain, and headaches. The more of these drugs you use, the higher the likelihood that you'll experience depression, suggests a study published June 12, 2018, in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Working with five surveys conducted over a nine-year period, researchers evaluated health information from 26,192 adults. About 37% of them reported taking such medications. Of individuals taking three or more of the medications with depression as a possible side effect, about 15% reported depression, compared with about 5% in people not using those medications. Even for people already taking an antidepressant, the addition of one or more of the identified medicines was linked to higher rates of depression. This study was based on surveys, so it didn't prove that the medications caused the reported depression. Nonetheless, if you think you're depressed (and have symptoms such as apathy, hopelessness, changes in sleep or eating habits, and persistent fatigue), ask your doctor if any of the medicines you are taking may be responsible.

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Research we're watching

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Depression and heart disease often overlap. As many as one in five people with heart disease has depression. This common mood disorder is also linked to a higher risk of dying of heart disease.

Now, new research lends further support for the protective role of exercise for both conditions. The study, published online June 27 by JAMA Psychiatry, included nearly 18,000 people (mostly male) and used records dating back to the early 1970s. Researchers found that people who were fit during middle age were 16% less likely to develop depression after age 65.

In the journals

Many people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also deal with ongoing depression and anxiety related to their pain and disability. While drugs used to treat the disease help alleviate the joint pain and stiffness, a recent study suggests they may not extend to improving patients' mental health.

The findings, published online June 6, 2018, by Arthritis & Rheumatology, reviewed more than 70 clinical trials and found only a small association between various drugs used for RA, such as adalimumab (Humira), rituximab (Rituxan), abatacept (Orencia), and tocilizumab (Actemra), and mental health outcomes in patients.

In the journals

Anticholinergic medications used to treat bladder conditions, Parkinson's disease, and depression are associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to a large study published online April 25, 2018, by The BMJ. Anticholinergic drugs help to contract and relax muscles. They work by blocking acetylcholine, a substance that also transmits messages in the nervous system. In the study, researchers compared the medical records of 40,770 people older than 65 who were diagnosed with dementia and 283,933 seniors without.

They found that people diagnosed with dementia were up to 30% more likely to have been prescribed anticholinergic medications for Parkinson's, bladder problems, or depression. Frequently prescribed anticholinergic drugs include procyclidine (Kemadrin) for Parkinson's; tolterodine, oxybutynin, and solifenacin (Vesicare) for urological conditions like overactive bladder or incontinence; and amitriptyline, dosulepin, and paroxetine for depression. However, there was no association between dementia and anticholinergic drugs used to treat other common conditions like hay fever, travel sickness, and stomach cramps.

In the journals

Aerobic exercise has been linked with reducing symptoms of depression, but resistance training, such as weight lifting and bodyweight exercises like push-ups, can have the same effect.

A meta-analysis published in the June 2018 JAMA Psychiatry examined the effects of resistance training on depression symptoms in 33 clinical trials involving 1,877 people. The researchers found that people who did this type of exercise reported a significant reduction in such symptoms as low mood, loss of interest in activities, and feelings of worthlessness, compared with those who did not exercise.

The health risks of loneliness and isolation have been known for some time, but more recently research has shown the specific effects in the brain. Finding ways to make connections with other people is the best "medicine" to alleviate the mental and physical effects of loneliness.

In the journals

Some antidepressants may not offer much relief for people who battle both depression and a chronic disease, according to research in the Nov. 21, 2017, Journal of the American Medical Association.

Nearly half of Americans live with a chronic condition, according to the CDC, and many also suffer from depression, including more than half of Parkinson's disease patients, 41% of cancer patients, and more than 25% of those with diabetes.

Here are some signs of an alcohol use disorder — and ways to find the help you need if you suspect you're drinking too much.

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The thought of hangovers and binge drinking may conjure an image of a college-age student or a 20-something out on the town. But increasingly, those terms apply to people who probably look a lot like you.

Alcohol use problems often start innocently enough in older women. A problem may begin with a drink at night to combat insomnia, says Dr. Olivera Bogunovic, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. But then one drink turns into two, and a 9 p.m. cocktail turns into all-day drinking, she says.

In the journals

A study published online May 17, 2017, by JAMA Psychiatry found that while depression symptoms later in life were associated with dementia, having symptoms in midlife was not. The findings indicate that depression may not be a risk factor for dementia as previously thought, according to the researchers. In the study, about 10,000 people (two-thirds of them men), ages 35 to 55, were recruited and followed for 28 years. Those who reported chronic or recurring depression symptoms at the study's beginning did not show a significant increased risk of developing dementia by the study's end. However, those who reported depression symptoms within the final 11 years of the study were twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

The researchers said that if depression symptoms were a true risk factor for dementia, there would be an association with people who had symptoms earlier in life and not just later. They concluded that depression later in life instead might be an early sign of dementia.