The Mayo Clinic reports that chronic stress may lead to mental disorders like depression. Now, a new study suggests that untreated depression may cause a weakened immune system, which can mean an increased risk of a whole slew of diseases.
University of California, San Francisco researchers conducted a clinical trial which reveals that people with major depressive disorder who do not seek treatment may have shortened DNA sections called telomeres. The degradation of these complexes has been linked to an early onset of age-related decline.
“As if feeling depressed is not bad enough, we are finding that long-term depression may be associated with damage to cells in the body, and this may predispose patients to certain physical diseases,” said lead author Owen Wolkowitz, M.D.
Authors note that the good news is that healthy lifestyle interventions – like changes in diet and increase in physical activity – have the ability to strengthen telomeres.
