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Could Lowering Inflammation Treat Depression?
The New York Times • • health
Key Points:
- Psychiatry has a history of repurposing drugs originally developed for other conditions, such as tuberculosis and anesthesia, to treat depression.
- Recent research is exploring the use of anti-inflammatory drugs for depression, based on evidence linking inflammation to depressive symptoms.
- About 25% of people with depression exhibit elevated inflammatory proteins, which often precede the onset of depression and may reduce the effectiveness of traditional antidepressants.
- Inflammation may also explain the connection between depression and physical health issues like metabolic or autoimmune diseases, as well as the impact of childhood trauma and chronic stress on depression risk.
- Experts suggest that inflammation could be a key factor in why some individuals do not respond to first-line depression treatments like SSRIs.
