U.S. adults with depression had a 29% increased risk of developing asthma compared with those without depression, according to a genetic and observational study issued by BMC Psychiatry.
Other studies have shown a high comorbidity of depression and asthma, suggesting “a complex two-way relationship, potentially mediated by immune-inflammatory response, lifestyle-related behaviors, obesity, and neuroendocrine dysregulation,” wrote Tanao Ji, of the Medical School of Nantong University, in Nantong, China, and colleagues. “Despite these findings, a complete understanding of the relationship between depression and asthma remains elusive.”
Ji and colleagues analyzed data from 31,434 adults sourced from the U.S.-based National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey as well as 17,021 adults from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing; all had completed depression assessments as well as a battery of other medical tests and had self-reported their asthma status. Researchers examined the correlations between depression and asthma, including performing two additional analyses to explore any genetic correlation using genome-wide association study summary statistics.
In the unadjusted analysis, researchers found that U.S. adults with depression were twice as likely to develop asthma compared with those without depression, while English adults had a 75% greater risk. The increased risk remained significant even after researchers adjusted for confounding variables, such as differences in demographics, smoking, drinking, body mass index (BMI), and serious chronic illnesses. Compared to non-asthmatic participants, people with asthma were more also likely to be female, not currently married, and to have lower family income. In addition, they tended to have higher BMI, smoking history, and a higher burden of medical comorbidities.
Further analysis revealed a positive genetic correlation between depression and asthma as well as a genetically predicted causal effect of depression on asthma, indicating that depression could be a potential risk factor for asthma. Researchers found significant interactions between smoking status in the United States, suggesting that “effective management of depression in individuals with a history of smoking in the United States may lead to a greater reduction in asthma risk compared to those without such a history.
“Drawing on data from large population-based samples, our findings may have meaningful implications for both public health and clinical implications,” the researchers continued. “These results point to the value of incorporating mental health screening into asthma prevention strategies and suggest that treating depression may contribute to improved asthma outcomes. Our evidence also lends support to multidisciplinary approaches that bridge psychiatry and respiratory medicine.”
For related information, see the Psychiatric News article “Allergies Linked to Increased Risk of Psychiatric Disorders.”
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