Depression is more than just feeling sad. It is a serious health condition that affects millions of people around the world.
For years, scientists have known that people with depression have a higher chance of getting physical health problems like heart disease and diabetes.
But now, a new study has found something even more detailed: different types of depression may lead to different health risks.
This study was shared at the ECNP Congress in Amsterdam. Researchers followed 5,794 adults for seven years. These people were part of the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) Study.
When the study began, none of them had diabetes or heart disease. Each person filled out a detailed questionnaire about their mood, energy, appetite, and sleep. Based on their answers, scientists sorted them into two groups.
The first group showed symptoms of what doctors call “melancholic depression.” These people had problems like waking up too early, not feeling hungry, and feeling very low. The second group showed symptoms linked to “atypical or energy-related depression.” These people often felt tired, slept more than usual, and had a bigger appetite.
During the seven years of follow-up, about 8% of all participants developed some type of heart or metabolic disease. But what’s interesting is that the type of disease they developed depended on the type of depression they had at the beginning.
People with atypical or energy-related depression were 2.7 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to people with no depression. However, they were not at a higher risk for heart disease.
On the other hand, people with melancholic depression were 1.5 times more likely to develop heart problems, like heart attacks or strokes, but they didn’t have a higher chance of getting diabetes.
Dr. Yuri Milaneschi, the lead researcher from Amsterdam UMC, said that when they looked more closely at the people with energy-related depression, they found signs that their bodies had inflammation and other changes in metabolism.
These are the same changes often seen in people who develop diabetes or other metabolic problems. These biological signs were not found in the people with melancholic depression, which suggests that the two types of depression may affect the body in different ways.
This discovery is important because it shows that depression is not just one condition. There are different kinds, and each may affect physical health differently.
Dr. Milaneschi explained that this supports the idea of “precision psychiatry”—a way of treating mental illness that looks at each person’s specific symptoms and physical health. It means doctors may need to treat not only the mental side of depression but also watch for possible physical problems that may come with it.
Dr. Chiara Fabbri from the University of Bologna, who was not part of the study, also emphasized how serious this is. She said we should not only focus on treating depression, but also on preventing and treating physical conditions like diabetes and heart disease in people who suffer from depression.
She pointed out that the number of people with diabetes in Europe is already very high and is expected to keep rising. So, paying more attention to these health risks in people with depression is a healthcare priority.
In conclusion, this study helps us better understand how mental and physical health are connected. People with different types of depression may face different physical health risks.
Doctors and researchers can use this knowledge to create better, more personalized care for people with depression. It is another step toward treating the whole person—not just the symptoms.
If you care about health, please read studies that scientists find a core feature of depression and this metal in the brain strongly linked to depression.
For more health information, please see recent studies about drug for mental health that may harm the brain, and results showing this therapy more effective than ketamine in treating severe depression.
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