Healio (10/15, Gramigna) reported, “Systemic inflammation appeared to have symptom-specific rather than generalized effects on depression,” researchers concluded after bringing “together raw data from 15 population-based cohorts comprising over 55,000 individuals [aged 18 years or older]” to examine “the association between two inflammatory markers and an array of depression-related symptoms, considering the potential influence of socio-demographic, lifestyle and illness related factors.” The findings of the “random-effects pooled analysis” were published online Oct. 14 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.
Higher inflammatory markers “…associated with an increased risk of experiencing four physical symptoms (changes in appetite, felt everything was an effort, loss of energy, sleep problems) and one cognitive symptom (little interest in doing things)….. For four exclusively emotional symptoms (bothered by things, hopelessness about the future, felt fearful, life had been a failure), the overall evidence was strongly against an association with inflammation.”
Related Links:
— “Systemic inflammation linked to symptom-specific depression effects “Joe Gramigna, Healio, October 15, 2021