Major depressive disorder (MDD) – Comorbidity

Although attempts have been made to define comorbidity, including the seminal work of the 1970s, it is a term that is used with different meaning across the scientific literature.^1,3 Moreover, beyond comorbidity, multimorbidity is used to discuss the presence of several m…

Neuropsychiatric comorbidities occur in approximately 70% of people with MDD – this prevalence generally increases with depression severity, ranging from 64% comorbidity prevalence rate in people with mild depression to a 78% prevalence rate in people with severe MDD.^1,2

Common physical comorbidities in MDD include cardiovascular disease (e.g., coronary heart disease, hypertension, myocardial infarction), digestive and metabolic disorders (type 2 diabetes, obesity, gastritis and duodenitis, non-infectious gastroenteritis) musculoskeletal …

Mitochondrial function (i.e., ATP production) is impaired in people with MDD compared with controls, leading to inefficient respiration and the production of reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidative stress.² In addition, MDD has neuroendocrine effects, including sy…

In this study, data from the 2007 and 2009 releases of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) were used.¹ The MEPS is a nationally representative annual survey of households representing the US non-institutionalised civilian population.¹ After inclusion/exclusion cri…

The analysis discussed here concludes that there exists a bidirectional relationship between depression and chronic illnesses.³

References:
1.American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fifth Edition – text revision. © American…

The WHO (World Health Organization) World Health Survey studied >240,000 adults, aged ≥18 years, across 60 countries.¹

An average of 9.3–23.0% of participants with one or more chronic physical disease also had comorbid depression.¹ Individuals with a chronic condition wer…

The various comorbidities of MDD (psychiatric and physical) adversely affect the quality of life of the patient.^1-3 This emphasizes the point that attending physicians need to be alert to the potential of the various comorbidities when treating any patient with MDD.⁴

Trea…

The presence of psychiatric and physical comorbidities adversely affects health outcomes and general functioning, and increases treatment costs and healthcare resource utilization in people with MDD.^2,4 MDD comorbid with another medical disorder is also strongly associate…

Data from studies suggests that reducing depressive symptoms is associated with significant improvements in many comorbid diseases, including substance abuse, CNS, and musculoskeletal disorders.¹ In cardiovascular and metabolic disorders (particularly myocardial infarctio…