Can physical activity reduce the risk of depression?

jogging and running showed the strongest associations with effects on the occurrence of depression.

The researchers compared the incidence of depression (based on billing codes) via polygenic risk groups for 2 years after carrying out the survey.

important knowledge

In general, the 2-year prevalence of depression incidents in the groups with the lowest physical activity was higher and lower for those who were most physically moving. Overall, about 8 % of the total cohort (n = 7,968) met the criteria for depression in the 2 years after the motion survey. The 2 lower quintiles of physical activity (0.1 hours and 1.1 hours) showed an above -average depression (10 %or 9.5 %), while the 3 upper quintile of physical activity (3.2 hours, 6 hours and 11.6 hours) performed below average incident (6.5 %or 6.2 %).

The prevalence of depression in physically more active people (who specifies at least 3.2 hours per week) within each polygenic risk group was lower. The following is a comparison of the percentage of depression of depression per polygen risk category for quintile 1 to 2 (0 to 1.1 hours per week) compared to the quintile 3 to 5 (≥ 3.2 hours per week):

• group with little risk 8.7% compared to 5.6%
• group with medium risk 9.1% compared to 6.5%
• risk group 12.7% compared to 8.1%

Ultimately, those with the highest polygenic risk of depression, the trained, had a lower depression incidence than their inactive counterparts with little risk. It is not surprising that those who were very physically active and were very physically active in a group with the lowest polygenic risk, best cutting off, with the lowest incidence of depression (5.6 %).

These results remain after cleaning up potential confounder such as body mass index (BMI), educational degree, employment status and previous depression. Both subgroups with a lower and high intensity showed positive effects on the occurrence of depression. Jogging and running showed the strongest associations with effects on the occurrence of depression.

practice implications

The effects of movement on the prevention or treatment of depression have been comprehensively examined and are well occupied. ^{1-3 This study seems to be one of the first that prospectively evaluates whether physical activity can have a protective effect on the occurrence of depression in people with an increased genetic risk for the disease. The most important result of this study remains that even with increased polygenous risk movement - a modifiable behavioral factor - a dose -dependent reverse effect on the risk of depression can have.}

Although this special research group has not examined the mechanism through which sport has had its effect, several possible mechanisms were proposed in the literature. Studies indicate that the effects of movement on depression on the increased hippocampus neurogenesis, which is observed in movement, can be attributed to the anti-inflammatory effects. ^4.5 There is indications that the acute inflammation, which results from a training unit, can stimulate the natural inflammatory release of cytokines in the body Inhibition of inflammatory cytokines that are connected to depression. Now recognizes the evidence base for the use of omega-3 fatty acids after it has published official practice guidelines for the safe and effective use of omega-3 supplements in the treatment and prevention of serious depressive disorders.

The authors of the current study came to the general conclusion that people who have 3 or more hours of physical activity per week have a lower prevalence of depression. With a step -by -step increase in weekly physical activity, the results further improved, which led to a general recommendation of 45 minutes of additional activity daily in order to achieve a significant reduction in the risk of depression. These results were consistent for people within every polygenic risk group, so that physical activity seemed to be associated with reduced depression incidence regardless of the initial risk. Exercises with a higher and less intensity were associated with these advantages; The most important marker seems to be the time spent with physical activity. If you combine this data with previously established evidence, we can see that the most effective recommendation for depression is moderate to intensive aerobics exercises that are carried out for at least 6 months on 3 to 5 days per week.

depression are the most common cause of disabilities and as a cause or consequence of many other diseases associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. This is one of the most important areas in which research into preventive and protective interventions can be incredibly helpful. At least literature like this study can help combat the wrong assumption that genetic risks and illness results cannot be modified. In addition, movement and physical activity are known to prevent and treat them to an endless list of other health states, so that the positive advantages of supporting the use of movement are plentiful as a medical recommendation.

The most important result of this study will be to persuade medical service providers and medical specialist staff not to put it back, to use physical activity as a basic recommendation for treatment. It is a generally known phenomenon that health service providers have an inherent bias not to see movement as a practical treatment option for depression, although the evidence shows that their effectiveness corresponds to that of antidepressants. ^{2 Since more and more studies are published, it is only a matter of time until the official recommendations are sport than what it is - a natural one Antidepressant.}

Study restrictions

Although promising and exciting, the work of Choi et al. Some restrictions on the generalization of the conclusions to which they have reached. The observing and non-interventional design only allows the assumption of an associative connection, although there are previous intervention studies that show the positive effects of movement on depression. In addition, the data collection based on codes for electronic health records (honor) and self -reported surveys of a relatively homogeneous group of highly educated people of European descent also limits the opportunity to generalize these results to other socio -economic or genetically different population groups. However, the collected data and conclusions form a study design that future researchers can examine.