Based on studies of identical twins, we already know that genes play a significant role in the development of depression.
Now a brand new study finds 44 specific gene variants (30 previously unknown) that contribute in raising the risk for depression.
“Many of the genes tied to depression also are associated with other psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as health issues linked to depression, including obesity and insomnia, the study found.
Some of the gene variants control neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and adrenaline….. All people carry some of these gene variants for depression, but some people have more than others, placing them at greater risk for depression, said lead study author Naomi Wray, a professorial research fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia.”
Now here’s the exciting part.
Currently, prescribing effective anti-depressants is pretty hit and miss.
I tried about five, not to mention every permutation of diet and exercise, before finding a drug that worked well. That’s one of the reasons critics bash antidepressants. They claim the hit-and-miss nature proves it’s all a placebo effect. When some people fail to respond to depression medicine after a couple tries, the critics claim it’s a money-making scheme from a corrupt health system.
Well, as the authors of the study note, depression is incredibly complex and the intricacies of gene variants explain why certain treatments work for some and not for others. It’s totally understandable that people might have to try a few medications before finding one that works.
But there’s potentially good news ahead.
“Sullivan compared the study on depression and genetics to research that was done on cardiovascular disease decades ago, which has led to drug therapies that significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Most of the antidepressant drugs used today were discovered by chance, but now the search for new drugs can be “rationally driven” by biological discovery, he said.”
In other words, the more we understand these gene variants, the better we can create drugs that work on those specific variants. Which means less trial and error, fewer rabbit holes, and happier patients.
Procrastinators might say, “Okay, well, once they get this all figured out, then I’ll start trying to get help.”
Well… there’s a risk to delaying treatment.
A new study shows significant brain inflammation in those with untreated depression for over a decade.
Specifically, the chronically depressed show an abnormal accumulation of inflammatory proteins in certain regions of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex.
“If the results hold up (via more research with more participants), this will prove to be an important finding adding evidence to the argument that depression shares similarities with degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, changing the brain in ways research-to-date hasn’t fully grasped.
“Greater inflammation in the brain is a common response with degenerative brain diseases as they progress, such as with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease,” said senior study author Dr. Jeff Meyer of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) at the University of Toronto.”
There are so many reasons to get help for your depression (your spiritual walk, your family, your own satisfaction, your health), but what’s so important about this study is that it proves the urgency. Chronic brain inflammation has been tied to raising your risk for Alzheimer’s among other conditions.
“I’ll think about getting help one of these years” could mean it’s too late.
Now the obvious disclaimer — talk to your doctor about treatment. It may not be that you need medication. But you do need to get serious about your depression.
