Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Depression Raises Seniors' Death Risk
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THURSDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- For older patients, depression may be as much a risk factor for death as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, a new U.S. study finds. "How depression increases death rates is not clear," researcher Dr. Joseph Gallo of the University of Pennsylvania''s School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement. "Possibly depression makes people less likely to take care of themselves or acts directly on the immune system in ways we do not completely understand." Reporting in the September issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, his team studied the two-year health outcomes of 1,226 patients aged 60 and older in more than 20 primary-care practices in New York City, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Of the 1,226 patients, 598 had depression. At the end of two years, 64 of the patients with depression had died. The study authors said that depression in this group of patients was equal to cardiovascular disease and diabetes in terms of raising death risk. The study findings suggest the need for better integration of care for older adults with chronic medical and mental health conditions. A better understanding of how an older patient''s mental health affects physical well-being can help doctors provide effective, lifesaving treatment. More information The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about depression and older adults.
Last Updated: Sept. 29, 2005 |