Depression
in
Senior
Citizens
May
Lower
Ability
to
Fight
Off
Disease
Feb.
12,
2002
-
It
is
estimated
that
15-57
percent
of
older
adults
experience
some
form
of
chronic
depression
for
a
period
of
time
later
in
their
lives,
which
may
compromise
their
ability
to
fight
off
infections
and
cancers,
according
to
new
research.
Researhers
found
that
even
chronic,
sub-clinical
mild
depression
may
suppress
an
older
person's
immune
system.
And
the
older
a
person
was,
the
poorer
the
immune
response
was
to
mitogens
-
a
model
for
how
the
body
responds
to
outside
agents,
like
viruses
and
bacteria.
Reported
on
in
this
month's
Journal
of
Abnormal
Psychology,
published
by
the
American
Psychological
Association
(APA)
is
an
18-month
prospective
study
of
78
older
adults
(average
age
of
72.5
years
old)
that
compared
those
who
suffer
from
chronic
depression
(22)
and
those
who
don't
(56)
on
their
ability
to
generate
enough
white
blood
cells
to
fight
off
an
infectious
agent.
Participants
were
part
of
a
larger,
longitudinal
study
on
stress
and
health
of
caregivers
of
adults
with
dementia.
Forty
of
the
participants
were
caregiving
for
spouses
with
dementia.
And
38
of
the
participants
were
not
caregivers
and
recruited
from
newspaper
advertisements,
church
groups
and
other
local
neighborhood
referrals.
The
non-depressed
group
included
25
caregivers
and
31
non-caregivers
and
the
depressed
group
included
15
caregivers
and
seven
non-caregivers.
Females
accounted
for
64
percent
in
both
the
depressed
and
non-depressed
group.
There
was
no
significant
difference
found
for
risk
of
depression
between
those
who
were
married,
those
with
more
education
or
those
at
a
higher
income
level.
All
the
depressed
participants
reported
clinically
relevant
depressive
symptoms
at
the
beginning
of
the
study
and
18
months
later,
said
McGuire,
but
fewer
than
half
of
these
participants
met
formal
diagnostic
criteria
for
depression.
"In
this
study,
it
seems
that
it
is
the
length
of
time
of
the
depression,
not
the
severity
that
is
affecting
a
person's
immunity."
This
information
along
with
previous
research
findings
suggests
that
"depressive
symptoms
can
exacerbate
and
accelerate
the
immunological
declines
that
typically
accompany
aging.
Changes
in
the
immune
response,
including
dysregulation
of
the
proinflammatory
cytokines
and
endocrine
functions
has
been
associated
with
depression
as
well
as
aging,
especially
in
adults
over
60,"
said
McGuire.
Other
factors
in
addition
to
aging
can
have
a
role
in
lowering
older
adults'
immunity.
Lack
of
social
support
has
been
reported
in
the
research
as
a
risk
factor
for
depression.
Lead
researcher,
Lynanne
McGuire,
Ph.D.,
of
John
Hopkins
School
of
Medicine
and
co-authors
Janice
K.
Kiecolt-Glaser,
Ph.D.,
and
Ronald
Glaser,
Ph.D.,
of
Ohio
State
University
College
of
Medicine
postulate
that
age-related
changes
in
cell-mediated
immunity
caused
by
mild
depression
is
linked
to
the
increased
risk
and
severity
of
infections
and
cancer
found
in
older
adults.
And
these
findings
suggest
that
detection
and
treatment
of
even
mild
depression
may
be
crucial
for
better
health
in
older
adults
since
the
prevalence
of
mild
depression
is
high
in
this
age
group.
Article:
"Depressive
Symptoms
and
Lymphocyte
Proliferation
in
Older
Adults,"
Lynanne
McGuire,
Ph.D.,
John
Hopkins
School
of
Medicine;
Janice
K.
Kiecolt-Glaser,
Ph.D.,
and
Ronald
Glaser,
Ph.D.,
Ohio
State
University
College
of
Medicine;
Journal
of
Abnormal
Psychology,
Vol
111,
No.
1.
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