Medical disorders in people with recurrent depression

Anne Farmer, Ania Korszun, Michael J. Owen, Nick Craddock, Lisa Jones, Ian Jones, Jo Gray, Richard J. Williamson, Peter McGuffin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

105 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background

Few studies have examined the rates of physical disorders in those with recurrent depression. Aims To examine self-reported physical disorders in people with recurrent depression compared with a psychiatrically healthy control group.

Method

As part of a genetic case-control association study, 1546 participants with recurrent depression and 884 controls were interviewed about lifetime ever treatment for 16 different physical health disorders.

Results

The cases group had a significantly higher frequency of 14 physical disorders and more obesity than the control group. After controlling for age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and multiple testing, those in the cases group had significantly higher rates of gastric ulcer, rhinitis/hay fever, osteoarthritis, thyroid disease, hypertension and asthma.

Conclusions

People with recurrent depression show high rates of many common physical disorders. Although this can be partly explained by BMI, shared aetiological pathways such as dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis may have a role.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)351-355
Number of pages5
JournalBritish Journal of Psychiatry
Volume192
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2008

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