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Depression triggers the development of arthritis
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
In Switzerland, a group of scientists managed to establish that depression is dangerous for physical health, and not just for psycho-emotional health, as was previously believed. As studies have shown, depression is dangerous not only for a person’s psyche, but also for his physical health. First of all, experts warn about the danger of developing arthritis and arthrosis, as well as other joint diseases.
The scientists published the results of their scientific work in this area in one of the scientific journals (Frontiers of Public Health).
The study involved about 15 thousand people, starting from the age of 15. As a result, it was established that on average 1/3 of the participants diagnosed with depression had at least one physical pathology. Among patients with depression, inflammatory diseases of the joints (arthritis, arthrosis) were especially common.
Switzerland has the most developed healthcare system in Europe and is rightfully considered the best in the world, but despite this, specialists diagnose depression in more than 400 thousand patients every year in this country. Thanks to a new study, scientists can confidently say that there is a connection between the development of depression and physical pathologies.
Scientists cannot yet say by what principle the mental state is connected with the development of physical pathologies, but presumably, because depression affects the psychological and emotional state, a person loses the desire not only to play sports, but also to go outside and do something. In a state of depression, a person withdraws into himself and leads a sedentary lifestyle, which leads to the development of degenerative-inflammatory diseases of the joints.
To understand the exact mechanism, the researchers need to conduct additional studies, which they plan to begin soon. This research will help the more than 300 million people worldwide who are diagnosed with depressive mental disorders every year.
Depression is a rather dangerous mental illness that can lead to suicide if left untreated. One research center has previously found that the degree of brain inflammation in people with clinical depression increases by 30%.
The specialists scanned the brains of healthy patients and patients with signs of depression.
Experts noted that previously attention was paid to markers of inflammation in the blood, but the new study proved that similar processes occur in the brain.
When a depressive state develops, microglia appear in the human brain – special cells of the nervous system that cause inflammatory processes. According to experts, inflammation of the brain only worsens the depressed psychological state that is observed during depression. This discovery will allow specialists to develop new methods of treating depression and other mental illnesses.
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