Loneliness linked to heart disease, dementia

Study finds depressed elderly had more hardening of the arteries

CHICAGO - Depression, severe mental illness & loneliness are linked to illnesses such as heart disease & dementia, according to several studies published Monday.

The exact connections between a dysfunctional mind & a malfunctioning body remains an ongoing question, but at least 1 of 3 sets of researchers writing in the Archives of General Psychiatry said several factors may be at work.

Dr. Jesse Stewart, formerly of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, found a correlation between depression & hardening of the arteries in his 3 year study of 324 men & women who averaged 60 years old.

The arteries of those who were most depressed had narrowed twice as much as those who were least depressed, the study found.

Hardening of the arteries can be a precursor to a heart attack or stroke & may occur because of a malfunctioning nervous system in depressed people, Stewart wrote.

Depression may also upset the body’s regulation of glands that release chemicals governing energy level & growth & alter the functioning of cells responsible for blood clotting.

Hardening of the arteries leads to an overreaction of the immune system and the resulting inflammation is known to release chemicals that can have effects on behavior, he added. The brain, too, can suffer from the reduced blood flow, reinforcing the depression and the resulting ailments, he wrote.