Nov 27, 2007 9:21 pm US/Mountain
Study: Osteoporosis Linked To Depression
DENVER (CBS4) ―
A new study from the journal Archives of Internal Medicine says depression not only affects mood and energy level, it can also weaken women's bones.
At highest risk for brittle bones are women between the ages of 21 and 45.
Health experts used to think brittle bones were a side effect of taking antidepressants, but the study says antidepressant medications aren't to blame for thin bones.
There are a lot of risk factors for osteoporosis. They include too little calcium and too little exercise. The study found women who suffer from even mild depression lose bone seven times faster than women who do not have depression.
<strong>Key Points</strong>
Even depressed women, who were not on medication, experienced bone loss at a young age. That means something else is to blame, and researchers believe it's a certain hormone released from the brain when people are depressed. This hormone robs bones of calcium and causes them to become prematurely brittle.
Researchers don't know how long a woman needs to be depressed before bone loss occurs, but thin bones were seen in women as young as age 21.
<strong>Advice</strong>
Any woman who suffers from depression should get a bone scan to check bone thickness. Doctors usually don't recommend bone scans until women are much older, but in this case, Dr. Dave Hnida can see ordering these in women in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
The other recommendation is treating the depression with medication. It may actually slow the process, which is all the more important since it appears antidepressants aren't to blame for bone loss.
If thin bones are found, there are medications to reverse the process. They are usually used in older women.
Also, make sure to get plenty of exercise and get enough dietary calcium.
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