People With Depression At Higher Risk For Long-Term Physical Health Conditions

Adults who have experienced depression develop chronic conditions, such as osteoarthritis, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), approximately 30% faster than those without depression. At baseline, 17.8% of participants in the United Kingdom Biobank had a history of depression, with an average burden of physical illness among those participants of 2.9 conditions compared with 2.1 conditions in those without depression. Over time, those with depression accumulated physical conditions at a significantly faster rate, adding an average of 0.20 conditions per year compared with 0.16 per year for those without depression.

The Most Frequently Developed Conditions . . .