MedPage Today (9/20, Walsh) reports, “Arthritis is a common comorbidity among older adults with depressive symptoms, diagnosed in up to two-thirds of patients with depression,” researchers concluded after analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The data analysis “revealed that the prevalence rates of arthritis among individuals older than 50 were 55% for those with mild depressive symptoms, 62.9% among those with moderate depression, and 67.8% of those with severe depression.” The findings of the 4,792-subject study were published online Sept. 19 in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
According to Psychiatric News (9/20), investigators “noted that arthritis and disability are known risk factors for depression in older adults,” with “the association between depression and arthritis” possibly being “linked to reduced physical activity, as well as to common biological mechanisms that result in inflammation.” Healio (9/20, Demko) also covers the study.
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