Depression, Antidepressants Tied to Heart Disease, Diabetes Risk in Older Women

Older women who have depression or take antidepressants may be at increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a new study finds. Researchers looked at about eight years of data from a few thousand postmenopausal women in the United States. Those who had depression or were using antidepressants were more likely to have a higher body-mass index (BMI), a measurement of body fat based on height and weight; larger waist size and signs of inflammation than those who did not have depression and were not taking antidepressants. These measurements are all associated with increased risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, noted the authors of the study in the June 13 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_138053.html