Depression accelerates physical aging, according to research

In adults who have experienced depression, long -term physical diseases develop about 30% faster than those who did not suffer from depression.

British researchers wanted to study the relationship between depression and the rate of development of diseases in middle and old age. To do this, they invited 172556 volunteers aged 40 to 71 years, who were initial assessment from 2006 to 2010. Scientists identified 69 various physical diseases, observing the participants for almost seven years to find out if they had any diseases have developed.

17.8% of the study participants suffered from depression. At the beginning of the study, people with a disorder on average had three physical diseases, while those who did not suffer from depression were two. However, during the experiment in adults with the history of depression, an average of 0.2 new diseases per year appeared, and in those who did not have depression – 0.16.

The most common diseases were osteoarthritis, which was diagnosed in 15.7% of people with depression compared to 12.5% ​​among those who did not suffer from a disorder at the beginning of the study. Hypertension was detected in 12.9% of people with depression and 12% without it, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERB) developed in 13.8% of depression participants compared to 9.6% among those who did not suffer from a mental disorder.

The results showed that depression is associated with a number of physical diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. According to the authors, the presence of a disorder indicates an increased risk of developing chronic diseases with age.