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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by aeon on November 20, 2006, at 22:33:00
Depression Increases Stress Inflammation Response
Sustained inflammation response contributes the development of a variety of diseases. The bodies of depressed people respond to stresses with a larger inflammation response than non-depressed people experience.
ATLANTA--Individuals with major depression have an exaggerated inflammatory response to psychological stress compared to those who do not suffer from depression, according to a study by researchers at Emory University School of Medicine. Because an overactive inflammatory response may contribute to a number of medical disorders as well as to depression, the findings suggest that increased inflammatory responses to stress in depressed patients may be a link between depression and other diseases, including heart disease, as well as contributing to depression itself.
Results of the study, led by Andrew Miller, MD, and Christine Heim, PhD, of Emory's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, are published in the Sept. 1 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
"Several examples of increased resting inflammation in depressed patients already exist in the literature, but this is the first time anyone has shown evidence to suggest that the inflammatory response to stress may be greater in depressed people," says Dr. Miller.
The study included 28 medically healthy male participants, half of whom were diagnosed with major depression and half of whom were not depressed. The participants were exposed to two moderately stressful situations during a 20-minute time period. Blood was collected every 15 minutes starting immediately before and then up to an hour and a half after the test to check for key indicators of inflammation. The researchers measured levels of a pro-inflammatory cytokine (a regulatory protein secreted by the immune system) called interleukin-6, and the activity of a pro-inflammatory signaling molecule in white blood cells called nuclear factor-kB.
While at rest (before the stress challenge), the depressed patients had increased inflammation relative to the control group. Both the depressed and the healthy groups showed an inflammatory response to the stress challenge, but people who were currently depressed exhibited the greatest increases of interleukin-6 and nuclear factor-kB.
Inflammation damages the body and basically accelerates aging.
"While inflammation is essential for us to fight bacterial and viral infections, too much inflammation can cause harm," says Dr. Miller. "There's always some collateral damage when the immune system gets fired up, and we now believe that too much inflammation, either at rest or during stress, may predispose people to become depressed or stay depressed." In addition, medical research over the last decade has shown that runaway inflammation may play a role in a number of disorders, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, all of which have been associated with depression.
If you are depressed and can not find an effective drug to treat your condition then consider diet and exercise as methods to decrease inflammation. Eat some fish for omega 3 fatty acids for starters. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits too.
If you are not depressed but know depressed people treat them kindly. They can not handle stress as well as you can.
By Randall Parker at 2006 September 03 09:38 PM Brain Disorders | TrackBack
Posted by kiwiredbeach on November 21, 2006, at 2:34:43
In reply to Depression Increases Stress Inflammation Response, posted by aeon on November 20, 2006, at 22:33:00
Aeon what do you recomend for general anxiety disorder, quercetin might be great for depression but maybe not for anxiety. What do you think
Posted by kiwiredbeach on November 21, 2006, at 7:07:13
In reply to Re: Depression Increases Stress Inflammation Respo, posted by kiwiredbeach on November 21, 2006, at 2:34:43
Aeon
You will be interested to know that im giving quercetin a go..only 500mg at the moment in case I have a bad reaction. My eczema is quite bad at the moment so lets hope that at least quercetin will help this
Cheers kiwiredbeach
Posted by aeon on November 21, 2006, at 17:22:31
In reply to Re: Depression Increases Stress Inflammation Respo, posted by kiwiredbeach on November 21, 2006, at 7:07:13
Hi Kiwi
I ran out of Quercetin and couldn't afford any more since a couple of days. The return of my worst symptoms was absoluteley scary. The calmness and contentnedness I enjoyed while taking 3000mg I really put down to the Parnate but no, seems it was the Quercetin. In fact Parnate is virtually not doing anything it seems. I started to become nervous, anxious, dysthymic, thinking I'm going to lose my job all the time for no reason, can't speak to people, sweating at night again, waking with terrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach... you know the drill!!
Sometimes its good to stop something and then you REALLY realise what it was that was helping. Luckily I secured a bottle this morning, so I'll let you know if it picks me back up. I'm going to go for 6000mg today and tomorrow to make up for lost time.
I think it will help for anxiety from my experience anyway - it is very calming.
Don't know about eczema - that's defintely an inflammation so maybe...
I would really recommend being less conservative with it after the trial... these flavanoids need reasonably large doses.
I am also looking into adding a whole lot of other flavanoids like a complex of pine bark, resveratrol, grape seed, cinnamon, tumeric, to see if I can't bump up the effects further.
Will keep you posted.
Cheers
aeon
PS yes I am an Aucklander born and bred, though now 12 years in Aussie.
Posted by qqqsimmons on November 22, 2006, at 15:45:45
In reply to Re: Depression Increases Stress Inflammation Respo, posted by aeon on November 21, 2006, at 17:22:31
I'm interested in the effects of quercetin. I hope you keep us informed of your progress. I've noticed strong antidepressant effects from flavonoids, but i'm also concerned about overstimulating effects like minor mania, insomnia, etc.
i had an experience similar to yours at work, afraid to talk to people, etc., but i blamed it on the quercetin cuz i was so high, i feared i had no choice but to come down.
anyway, this stuff has so many good side effects i would love it to be tolerable enough to take daily.
i believe both quercetin and parnate are MAO inhibitors. so i'd be wary of taking them together.
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