New Delhi: A set of genes may be common to both depression and hearing loss, researchers said, a finding that may explain why having one increases the risk of developing the other.
He said a "surprising" link between the diseases has existed since the 1990s.
While studies have shown that people with depression have a higher risk of heart disease, prompt and effective treatment of mental illnesses reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular conditions. Conversely, studies have also shown that depression also occurs in people with heart disease.
The researchers, including those from the University of Tampere, Finland, said the association between the two conditions could be partly explained by lifestyle changes commonly seen in depression patients, such as poor diet and lack of exercise.However, he said, it's also possible that the two diseases may be related at a "deeper level" by sharing biological processes, such as inflammation, that are important for developing these conditions. The findings have been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Researchers collected blood samples from nearly 900 men and women aged 34 to 49 who were participants in the Young Finns study. This study examining cardiovascular risk factors in children and adolescents as they progress into adulthood began in 1980. The participants are being monitored since then.Blood samples were analyzed for gene expression, which is the process by which information in genes is ultimately translated into observable traits in a person.
The researchers identified a specific set of genes that express themselves in similar ways in both depression and heart health conditions. This group of genes, or gene module, was found to be associated with higher scores for depressive symptoms as well as lower scores for cardiovascular health.
"We looked at gene expression profiles in the blood of people with depression and CVD and found 256 genes in a gene module (cluster of genes) whose expression at higher or lower than average levels put people at greater risk of both diseases, " said first author Binisha H. Mishra, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tampere.
The genes that make up the module are involved in biological processes such as inflammation, known to play a role in the development of both depression and heart disease, the researchers said.This helps explain why the two diseases often occur together, he said.
He said a "surprising" link between the diseases has existed since the 1990s.
While studies have shown that people with depression have a higher risk of heart disease, prompt and effective treatment of mental illnesses reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular conditions. Conversely, studies have also shown that depression also occurs in people with heart disease.
The researchers, including those from the University of Tampere, Finland, said the association between the two conditions could be partly explained by lifestyle changes commonly seen in depression patients, such as poor diet and lack of exercise.However, he said, it's also possible that the two diseases may be related at a "deeper level" by sharing biological processes, such as inflammation, that are important for developing these conditions. The findings have been published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Researchers collected blood samples from nearly 900 men and women aged 34 to 49 who were participants in the Young Finns study. This study examining cardiovascular risk factors in children and adolescents as they progress into adulthood began in 1980. The participants are being monitored since then.Blood samples were analyzed for gene expression, which is the process by which information in genes is ultimately translated into observable traits in a person.
The researchers identified a specific set of genes that express themselves in similar ways in both depression and heart health conditions. This group of genes, or gene module, was found to be associated with higher scores for depressive symptoms as well as lower scores for cardiovascular health.
"We looked at gene expression profiles in the blood of people with depression and CVD and found 256 genes in a gene module (cluster of genes) whose expression at higher or lower than average levels put people at greater risk of both diseases, " said first author Binisha H. Mishra, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tampere.
The genes that make up the module are involved in biological processes such as inflammation, known to play a role in the development of both depression and heart disease, the researchers said.This helps explain why the two diseases often occur together, he said.
