If you suffer from mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder, then you may want to rethink those tough decisions over a couple of drinks after a stressful day, or a stressful week, for that matter. Research shows that certain kinds of brain injury — even minor ones — may lead to cognitive impairment that can come with behavioral changes.
In a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease on Friday, researchers found that people with major depression were at greater risk of experiencing strokes, according to LiveScience.
Researchers studied 449 people with major depression, aged 18 to 85, and found those with the mental health diagnosis were at greater risk of brain damage or brain disease, LiveScience reports. For the study, the researchers gathered brain scans of the participants, as well as a neuropsychological assessment, to determine how each had been affected by their depression.
Not only was it found that depression was linked to a 10% higher chance of stroke in the study, but there was also evidence that people with depression were more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease. Rehab cape town. This study is just one of many that have shown that people with depression may be at greater risk of neuropsychiatric and brain diseases, LiveScience reports.
What’s more, previous research has shown that people with major depression are also more likely to abuse alcohol and tobacco, which contributes to a higher risk of cardiovascular and cardiovascular diseases.
“Major depression may adversely affect mental and physical health by having an impact on body chemistry and energy levels,” study author Dr. Adam Lavine told LiveScience.
As Lavine noted, the new research has only been published and therefore doesn’t offer any strong evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship.
Still, he added, “The [study] does suggest that the physical brain may be adversely affected in major depression — and although much more research is needed to definitively prove a link, this adds to the growing evidence for a link between depression and a wide range of medical conditions, including depression and anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, sleep disorders and the common cold,” LiveScience reports.
