Active Lifestyle May Protect Against Depression, Even If You Are Genetically Vulnerable To It: Study

 

Adding physical activity to a daily routine may seem like a simple step for better health, but research from Kansas State University suggests it could be especially beneficial for individuals with a genetic predisposition to depression, potentially helping reduce their risk and ease their burden of symptoms.

Denver Brown, assistant professor in the School of Health Sciences in K-State's College of Health and Human Sciences, along with co-investigators at the University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Rhode Island and Vanderbilt Health, recently published their research in the journal Nature Mental Health. The study examined how genetic risk and physical activity relate to major depressive disorder in adults using data from the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program, a nationwide effort to better understand how differences in biology, lifestyle and environment influence health.

 

The researchers analyzed survey responses, electronic health records, genetic data and long-term physical activity data from Fitbit devices.

 

“Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, so understanding how we might reduce its burden is important,” Brown said. “As we move toward more personalized medicine, understanding a patient's genetic risk could help inform conversations about lifestyle, including the potential role of physical activity in helping prevent depression or manage its symptoms.”

 

Brown said the study assessed both whether participants had a depression diagnosis and the severity of their symptoms to get a better understanding of an individual's experiences. “If we're looking at depression as just a 'yes or no' for diagnosis, we're missing a lot of the variability that comes with a diagnosis,” he said. “Someone may have some symptoms, but not a formal diagnosis. Some might have moderate symptoms, and others experience substantial symptoms.”