National Depression Screening Day will be held across the U.S. on October 8 as a way to reach out to at-risk persons and raise awareness about the available treatment options. In light of this, we present our articles discussing depression and related topics, including chronic kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy, urinary incontinence, pneumonia, and multiple sclerosis.
Depression doesn’t only impact a person’s mood, it can take a huge toll on many other areas of health. That is why it is so important to not only get screened if you suspect you are depressed, but also to follow the treatment plan.
Depression coincided with chronic kidney disease raises kidney failure risk in older adults: Study
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Depression coinciding with chronic kidney disease raises kidney failure risk in older adults. The researchers studied 5,785 people over the age of 65 from four different counties across the U.S. The participants completed questionnaires to uncover depressive symptoms and a broad range of medical measurements. The researchers examined whether depression predicted the onset of kidney disease or other medical problems that involved the kidneys.
The findings uncovered that depression coincided with the presence of chronic kidney disease and was 20 percent more common in individuals with kidney disease. Depression also predicted a steady progression in kidney disease. Continue reading…
Diabetic retinopathy linked to higher depression and anxiety risk in adults with diabetes
Diabetic retinopathy is linked to higher depression and anxiety risk in adults with diabetes. Diabetics are more likely to develop cataracts or glaucoma, and nearly half of them will have some sort of eye or vision problem. A common complication of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy is the main cause of eyesight loss among diabetic patients.
The study included 519 participants who had diabetes for 13 years on average. The patients underwent a comprehensive eye exam and were screened for depression and anxiety.
Eighty individuals tested positive for depressive symptoms and 118 persons tested positive for anxiety. Diabetic retinopathy was found to be an independent risk factor for depression and anxiety. Continue reading…
Women with urinary incontinence more likely to get depressed or experience postpartum depression: Studies
Women with urinary incontinence are more likely to experience depression, including postpartum depression. For the study, researchers followed middle-aged women with incontinence and found they are more likely to develop depression, compared to middle-aged women without incontinence.
Researcher Jodie Avery said, “Women with both incontinence and depression scored lower in all areas of quality of life because of the impact of incontinence on their physical wellbeing. Key issues for younger women affected by incontinence are family, sexual relationships, and sport and leisure activities… The most common difficulties women express about their incontinence are things like: ‘I can’t play netball’, ‘I can’t go to the gym’, ‘I can’t go for walks’, or ‘I can’t go dancing’, and these are real issues for women who are still in the prime of their lives.” Continue reading…
Pneumonia patients likely to suffer from depression, cognitive impairment: Study
Pneumonia patients are more likely to suffer from depression and cognitive impairment, according to research. The study uncovered that pneumonia patients are twice as likely to develop cognitive impairment, while hospitalized older patients are at a higher risk for other health complications like a heart attack and stroke.
Senior author Dr. Theodore J. Iwashyna said, “Pneumonia is clearly not only an acute life-threatening event, but also a profoundly life-altering event. The potentially substantial chronic care needs and diminished quality of life for survivors are comparable to the effects of heart disease, yet we invest far fewer resources to pneumonia prevention.”
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The researchers found that study subjects who were hospitalized for pneumonia were more likely to develop cognitive impairment – and the impact was so severe that it led to disability and nursing home admissions. Continue reading…
Multiple sclerosis-related brain inflammation may be causing depression: Study
Multiple sclerosis-related brain inflammation may be causing depression, according to research. Higher rates of depression have been seen among multiple sclerosis patients – compared to the general population. Abnormal immune response, one of the characteristic symptoms of multiple sclerosis, has been linked to depression, too. Researchers believe this could be a shared pathological mechanism, which helps explain the association between multiple sclerosis and depression rates.
The findings add evidence to support that inflammation of the hippocampus alters its function and contributes to depressive symptoms. Hippocampus is associated with depression maintenance and multiple sclerosis pathology. Continue reading…
