Depression in Kids Linked to Later Development of Cardiac Disease

We know from past studies that depression in adults is linked to heart disease and risk of serious complications. New studies have found that teens who were depressed as children are more likely to suffer from obesity, increased likelihood of smoking cigarettes, and living sedentary lives. This increases heart risks later in life, even when teens are no longer suffering from depression.

In 2004, researchers gathered information from 201 children with clinical depression, 195 healthy siblings, and 161 unrelated children with no depression. The average age for the children was nine years old. Later in 2011, at the age of 16, scientists looked at the rate of smoking, obesity and sedentary lifestyle. The kids who were clinically depressed at the age of nine had a 22% obesity rate, while 17% of their siblings were obese and 11% of unrelated children who were never depressed. Similar trends were recorded among smoking and physical activity.

Researchers then used statistical methods to eliminate confounding factors and found the effect of depression to be pronounced. For example, the siblings of depressed children were also 5 times more likely to smoke than the control group, however the depressed children were an additional 2.5 times more likely to smoke.

Finally, researchers found heart disease risk factors were more common in depressed children whether they continued to suffer from depression in their teens or not. Researchers conclude that depression seem to play a causal role in the development of cardiac risks, however more studies will need to be conducted.

Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/03/17/depression-in-kids-linked-to-cardiac-risks-as-teens/52678.html?utm_source=PsychCentral&utm_medium=twitter

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